


Bred for Destiny

by Raberba girl (Raberba_girl)



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Friendship, Mecha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-25 00:50:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 74,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/946712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raberba_girl/pseuds/Raberba%20girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the first day of school, Duo, Quatre, & Wufei are recruited by two mysterious classmates, Hiiro & Trowa. Their mission is to use secret "Gundam" technology to fight a group of destructive rebels, but things are not as they first seem. *Permanently incomplete.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act 1 - Identifying

**Author's Note:**

> Even though this story is permanently incomplete, I did include an author's note at the end, summarizing the story's conclusion. I'm also toying with the idea of re-writing it as a Kingdom Hearts fanfic just so you can see how the story ends, but I don't know if I'll ever have the time to actually do that.

Bred for Destiny

A Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl

 

_This fanfic is dedicated to Archsage Soren, with much thanks.  God bless. :)_

Summary:  On the first day of school, Duo, Quatre, & Wufei are recruited by two mysterious classmates, Hiiro & Trowa. Their mission is to use secret "Gundam" technology to fight a group of destructive rebels, but things are not as they first seem. **Permanently incomplete.**

**Act 1 - Identifying**

 

"Duo!"  The pretty nun's enraged shout rang out over the courtyard.  "You _will_ report to the breakfast hall this instant!"

 

The fifteen-year-old grinned and nestled more comfortably in his hiding place.  Sister Helen wasn't going to succeed in sending him to a new school this time - he was perfectly content to get his education at the church and occasionally shock the nuns with his sacrilegious statements, thank you very much.

 

He rummaged through the bag of supplies he had brought up, enough sandwiches, apples, and water to last him through the day.  It would be boring, though.  He had brought his Bible, with the vague idea of actually memorizing his assigned verses for once.  It was part of his master plan to pacify Sister Helen for giving her the slip this morning.

 

But...he could memorize verses later.  Duo turned to the broken radio he had brought up as well, more interested in taking this thing apart so he could see how it worked.  Maybe he could even give it to Father Maxwell as a present for his birthday in a week--

 

"DUO!"

 

He jumped and dropped the radio with a clatter.  "How did you _find_ me?" he gasped, looking down into Sister Helen's glaring face.  She was standing high enough on the attic stairs for her head and shoulders to be visible, staring straight at him even though he had thought he was well-hidden among the shadows in the roof beams.

 

"You underestimate me, sir."  She suddenly cocked her head at him, and Duo, with some relief, caught the twinkle in her eye despite the deep frown.  "Young man, don't you ever again claim to be unable to wake up before noon.  You must have snuck out before the sun even rose, am I right?"

 

Duo grinned beguilingly at her.  "Aw come on, Sister Helen, I was just lookin' for a quiet place to study my Bible verses before school today.  I was gonna _surprise_ you."

 

Her eyebrow arched.  "Oh, _really_.  Let's hear it, then."

 

"Hear what?" he asked innocently.

 

"How far you've gotten.  Romans 5:1-5 it was, I believe?"

 

"Um...you know, I _just_ started looking at them, _surely_ you can't expect me too--"  He broke off when he saw the change in her expression.  She sighed and shook her head, a sad look passing over her face.  He watched in silence (and some admiration) as she managed to climb up to where he was perched.

 

"Hey, that's pretty impressive for an old lady," he teased, in an effort to forestall whatever talking-to she meant to give him.  "I bet you've been hiding all these hidden talents, like break-dancing or playing hockey--"

 

"Duo, honey," she said.  He winced at the gentleness of her voice.  "I know this is hard for you.  I don't think it's fair, either, that the sponsorship changed and they're making you kids go to yet another new school."  She cupped his cheek in one hand, but he pulled away and glared at the ground to disguise how guilty he felt for worrying her.  "Sweetheart, can't you do you best anyway?  For me and Father Maxwell, if not for yourself?"

 

"They say I smell bad," he mumbled, then wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

 

This time it was Sister Helen's turn to wince.  He was too old now to be taken in by the old line, _"You don't smell bad at all."_   The water rations the orphanage received were barely enough to keep the kids properly hydrated, much less clean.

 

"I will pray that you have a wonderful, blessed day," she finally offered, smiling a little as she realized how that must sound to him.

 

"No," he snapped.  Then he relented and pasted on one of the charming smiles that came so easily to him.  "I'll be fine, Sister Helen.  I'm not a kid, I can handle this."  His grin grew a bit mischievous.  "Besides, once you knock down a couple of guys, the rest leave you alone."

 

She gave him a Look.  He laughed and handed her one of the apples before climbing down.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Rashid, tell me honestly, how do I look?" the boy asked nervously.  He was a sweet-faced, good-looking fifteen-year-old with fair hair, about to start his first day at a new school.

 

"You always look your best, Quatre-sama," the tall, broad-shouldered captain answered fondly.

 

Quatre glanced down at the pink shirt, purple vest, and khaki trousers he was wearing.  "I don't know, Rashid, sometimes I don't trust you guys' fashion sense...."

 

"Quatre-sama!" a voice called from downstairs, and Abdul pounded up to where Quatre and Rashid stood in the doorway of Quatre's apartment.  "The car's been brought around.  You have your lunch, your schedule, pencils and paper...?"

 

"Stop fussing, Abdul, he's fine," Rashid said dismissively.  "Have a good day, Quatre-sama.  I will look after things here."

 

Quatre waved and followed Abdul down.

 

As the car pulled away, Quatre could not resist looking back at the apartment complex that, over time, had come to house all forty of the loyal men who took care of him, plus their families.  It was a loud, warm, strange sort of family, and Quatre had never wished for any other.  He took a deep breath and faced forward again.

 

They had not gone far down the road when Quatre suddenly sat up alertly.  There appeared to be some sort of scuffle on the sidewalk - three boys had shoved a fourth against the wall.

 

"Ahmad, slow down," Quatre ordered with uncharacteristic sharpness.

 

"Quatre-sama," Abdul murmured from beside him, "should we really get involved...?"

 

The apparent victim, a scruffy boy with black clothes and unusually long brown hair, had lashed out and apparently hurt one of his attackers, who howled with rage and pain.

 

Before Quatre knew what he was doing, the car door was open and he had one foot on the sidewalk.  All four boys glared suspiciously at the car, and the three - what, antagonists?  Quatre wasn't sure - where already loping quickly away.  The long-haired boy stood with both feet firmly planted, breathing heavily as he clutched at his injured arm and glared straight into Quatre's eyes.  Quatre was startled to see the marks of what would be a black eye blooming on the boy's face.

 

"Um...are you all right?" Quatre asked awkwardly, suddenly aware that Abdul was looming behind him.  Quatre often appreciated the concern of the Maganacs, but at times (like now) they felt overprotective.

 

"Are you all right?" the boy shot back, his voice a whiny imitation of Quatre's own.  He continued scoffing in a normal voice, "Walk around in that getup much longer and you won't be, fruit."  As he whirled to stalk away, Quatre quickly stepped back from the sour, unwashed smell caught from the other boy.

 

For a long moment, Quatre watched him walk away, fists clenched, wanting nothing more than to climb back into the car and not spare another thought on some rude, ungrateful kid who needed a bath.  However, Quatre was a soft-hearted person, and after that one long moment he drew in a deep breath, released it, and deliberately uncurled his fists.

 

"My name is Quatre," he called out.  "If you're going anywhere near Winner Academy, we can give you a ride."

 

At the name of the school, the boy's pace paused, perhaps in surprise.  Then he walked on with no other hint of a response.

 

Quatre closed his eyes, nodded, then opened his eyes again and grinned at the worried-looking Abdul before climbing back into the car.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Wufei, still invigorated from his morning practice, stepped into the kitchen.  His grandmother was sitting at the table, sipping tea and listening to the news on the radio.  That was not surprising; what caused Wufei to halt and stare was the sight of his girlfriend cheerfully humming as she labored over a pan of eggs at the stove.

 

"Meilan, what are you doing here?" Wufei asked, his annoyed tone masking the pleasure he felt at seeing her so unexpectedly.

 

At the sound of his voice, the pretty Chinese girl turned and smiled brightly enough to rival the early morning sun shining through the windows.

 

"Fei!"  She came over to him, purring as she did so, "Oooh, I love it when your hair's all wet from the shower."

 

"Meilan," he started, casting an embarrassed glance at his grandmother, but Meilan was kissing him before he could protest further.

 

"Child, the eggs are burning," Mistress Chang said serenely after a moment, her heavily-lined face betraying nothing of her thoughts.

 

Meilan squealed and dashed back to the stove.  Red-faced, Wufei pulled the towel off his shoulders to rub at his damp hair.

 

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.

 

"It's the first day of school!  I wanted to do something special," she explained, getting out two plates.  "You should leave your hair down, Wufei.  It looks better like that; how come you always tie it up all the time?"

 

Wufei grunted, not bothering to answer something so obvious.  He did, however, decide that perhaps he didn't have to put his hair up just this minute.

 

The three of them ate companionably, Meilan chatting and teasing, Wufei mostly grunting in reply or shooting nervous glances at his grandmother, who finally looked up and smiled at him.

 

"What a kind girl Meilan is," she said in her unhurried way.  "Though it is you who should have thought of visiting her this morning."

 

"It's the same school we've been going to for ten years," Wufei pointed out.  "What's so great about the first day?"

 

"It's the first day of school that _we've_ been together," Meilan countered.  She grinned.  "You remember last year?  When we first met?"

 

"Oh, I remember all right, _Nataku_ ," Wufei said, with such a smug smirk that she shrieked and flung a napkin at him.

 

"The time," Mistress Chang said conversationally, "is eight-thirty, in case you were unaware of it."

 

Immediately the two teenagers leaped up, Meilan dumping dirty plates in the sink and running for her backpack, while Wufei cursed as he clutched a hair-tie in his teeth and simultaneously attempted to pull his socks on with one hand and shove books into his schoolbag with the other.

 

"Good-bye, my grandson," Mistress Chang said very pointedly when they were halfway out the door.  The kids froze, torn.  Then Meilan, despite hopping up and down with impatience, gave her boyfriend a curt nod; Wufei hissed through his teeth, whirled back around, planted a kiss on his grandmother's soft, wrinkly forehead, and then they were gone.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The Japanese boy's nose wrinkled in distaste as he surveyed the courtyard of noisy students, engaging in uselessly exuberant activity.  Throwing things, chatting about mindless topics, shrieking with laughter at not-funny jokes, chasing each other around....

 

"Were schools always like this?" he asked his companion in a low voice.

 

The other boy, one piercing green eye showing through the long hair that obscured part of his face, shrugged disinterestedly.  "For all we know, they're still like this."

 

01 turned to look 03 fully in the face, his eyes narrowed.  "Still?"

 

03 frowned in response.  "You know what I meant.  I didn't forget."

 

"Remember the mission," 01 said, his voice a very low warning.

 

"Hiiro," 03 said deliberately, and watched as the other boy flinched a little.  "I've never failed before.  Have I ever given you any reason to distrust me?"

 

"I don't trust anyone," 01 said shortly.  "And neither should you."

 

As if it was a signal, they parted ways.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Maybe he should have gotten a ride from that rich kid after all.  His arm was hurting badly enough to make it extremely uncomfortable carrying a book bag.  Disgusted, Duo kicked his feet as he walked, going slower and slower as he approached the sounds of a noisy school courtyard.

 

Why, why, why did it have to be yet another new school, yet another round of stares, hostile looks, fights....

 

"Duo!"

 

His head jerked up in surprise at the familiar voice.  Meilan came flying down the sidewalk to meet him, her face shining with surprise.  "Hey, don't tell me you're going to our school now!"

 

Duo tried to stop himself from gaping.  He had never seen Meilan outside of the orphanage, where she volunteered a few times a month.  "I...well...you go here?"

 

Meilan was laughing.  "Oh, this is great!  I know it sucks to be the new kid; you can hang out with me and Fei."

 

Duo looked over her shoulder to find Wufei approaching at a more dignified pace.  He didn't know the other boy very well at all, had just seen him a couple of times when Meilan dragged him with her to the orphanage, but Duo grinned anyway.  "Hi, Wuffie."

 

"That's 'Chang' to you," the Chinese boy responded coldly.  He _hated_ being called by stupid nicknames.  Only Meilan could get away with it.

 

"What happened to your _face_?" Meilan was saying indignantly.  "You look like--" she broke off.

 

"Like the Transfiguration?" Duo supplied brightly.  "Yeah I know, dazzling.  Might need your help keepin' the girls off me."  He winked.

 

After a moment, she nodded.  "Well, hey, we better go.  Wufei and I left late, and," she paused only a second, for a knowing grin, "looks like you had a good excuse to be late, too.  You know where your first class is, right?"

 

"Um...."

 

Wufei sighed.  "I'll find a computer and check.  Meilan, you go take care of him."  He walked away.

 

Duo glared after him until Meilan punched him playfully in the shoulder.  Unfortunately, it was the wrong shoulder, and he yelped.

 

"Oh, don't tell me your arm's messed up, too!" she exclaimed in exasperation.  "Come on, I'll take you to the nurse.  And you know, Duo," she added as they began walking again, "Wufei wasn't being mean or anything.  It's obvious you...well, had a little run-in on the way here.  He was just acknowledging the facts."

 

"Should be grateful, I guess," Duo muttered in a voice that didn't sound grateful at all.  But he liked Meilan, so he smiled at her.  "Hey...you know, well...thanks."

 

She smiled back.  "No problem."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Was that the bell ringing already?  Hiiro cursed and exited the computer programs as quickly as he could.  Most of his and 03's - that is, Trowa's - files were in order, but he had not yet managed to alter their tuition status.  Oh well.  Hopefully it wouldn't cause problems until lunch, when he could come back and finish up.

 

Leaving the office exactly as he had found it, Hiiro climbed back out through the window and navigated down the ground, where his backpack was waiting.  Just as he was bending to scoop it up, a voice suddenly cut through his preoccupation.

 

"Hello."

 

In an instant, Hiiro's gun was in his hand, pointed at the offender.  And when he saw her, an ordinary student, Hiiro's thoughts went wild.

_'No!  No!  No!  Idiot!  Why did you take out the gun?!  Now you'll have to kill her and our cover is ruined and I'll have blown the mission and it'll be_ my _fault, not 03's--'_

 

"Oh.  You must be in ROTC, right?"  Her blue eyes had been wide with shock, but now she was smiling at him.

 

Hiiro stared at her.  _'She can't be that stupid, can she?  ROTC students don't carry handguns.'_   Then his brain calmed enough to take in the details of her expression.  Her mouth was smiling, but the rest of her face was frightened, anxious...pleading.  She wanted him to say the right thing, to take the escape she offered, to prove that her world had not just changed in an instant.

 

Hiiro tried what he thought was a nonchalant shrug and slipped the gun back into its hidden holster.  "Yeah.  ROTC."

 

Her grin widened in relief.  "Oh.  That's nice.  My name is Relena Darlian, by the way.  What's yours?"

 

He did not have time for this.  He pushed past her without a word, heading for his first class.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

 _'Duo Maxwell, you are a chicken, that's what you are,'_ he told himself.  Hiding out in the bathroom because he didn't want to walk in late, the center of attention, all eyes fixed on him, knowing from his face and bandaged arm that he was either a loser or a thug, knowing from his clothes that he was an orphanage brat, and not a rich kid like them with all of life's perks.

_'I'll go to second period,'_ he told himself firmly.  _'As soon as the bell rings, I'm out of here.  No one will notice me in the crowd.'_

 

It was really boring hanging out in the bathroom.  No one was there in the middle of class.  He had only been here for ten minutes or so; there was at least half an hour until the bell rang....

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It had been terrible trying to get out of the car that morning, anxiousness pressing on him so that he could hardly breathe, but once Quatre was caught up in the activity of finding his classes, it was all right.  His first period was advanced mathematics, which he enjoyed.

 

He had tried smiling at some of his classmates, but they either looked through him as if he did not exist or returned his friendly smile with mocking smirks.

 

It was the clothes, Quatre knew.  He really should not have trusted a bunch of well-meaning foreigners to pick out his clothes, especially for his first day at a new school....

 

"Winner," the teacher called out, in some surprise.

 

"Oh!  Present," Quatre answered, startled.

 

"What an interesting name," the teacher remarked.  "You don't happen to be connected to _the_ Winners who founded this Academy, are you?"

 

"No, no," Quatre laughed.  He was used to this; Winner Academy and its founding organization, Winner Corporation, were big names in the country.  "It's just a coincidence.  Winner is not that uncommon a name in some areas of the world, you know."

 

"I see," the teacher answered in mild disappointment.  She continued on with the roll call.

 

Quatre, looking idly around the classroom, was suddenly caught by the gaze of another student.  It was a boy in the back row, his face half-covered by long brown hair, but his visible green eye fixed unwaveringly on Quatre.

 

For a moment, Quatre stared back in surprise at the intensity of the other boy's attention.  Then he smiled, a little nervously.

 

After a second, the boy looked away, his expression unchanging.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

 _'Made it,'_ Duo thought with satisfaction.  It was the passing period just before his second class, and he had managed to find his classroom and claim a seat in the back corner before many other people had entered the room.  Even the teacher was busy at his computer and paid no attention to the smelly injured kid slinking into the back row.

 

The noise increased as more and more students came in and found either seats to settle themselves in or friends to talk to.  Just when the din became almost unbearable, the bell rang, and the teacher reluctantly rose to call order.

 

Duo observed that there was a sort of ring of empty seats around him.  Most kids didn't even look at him when they chose other desks, but a few had glared his way, one even holding his nose briefly in an unmistakable gesture.

_'I don't care,'_ Duo thought at them.  _'I don't care what you think of me.  I wanna be here even less than you want me to.'_

 

There was one girl, a pretty blue-eyed blonde who actually tried to smile at him after a wary moment, but then her attention was absorbed by the flock of high-pitched girls that surrounded her.

 

Class had already commenced when a student walked in late.  He was a hard-faced, blue eyed, Asian-looking boy with tangled, untidy hair.  Duo almost liked him for that, and for the unselfconscious way he walked, as if he did not even notice that he looked strange wearing spandex and a tank top in this fancy school full of rich kids.

 

"Had a schedule change," the boy said brusquely to the teacher.

 

"I see," the man responded.  "Let me see your schedule, please."

 

The boy handed it over, then turned and faced the class.  There was a deep, nervous silence as those rocky, dark blue eyes passed over their faces.  The eyes even landed briefly on Duo, who shivered a little.  He had a feeling that this boy could be more dangerous than typical school bullies, yet there was nothing "bully" about him.  More like..."assassin."

 

As Duo was scoffing at himself for these thoughts, the boy suddenly opened his mouth.  "Hiiro Yui.  It's a pleasure," he introduced himself, though his tone indicated it was anything _but_ a pleasure.

 

"All right then Mr., ah, Yui, go ahead and take a seat," the teacher said.  "And let me remind you that new students have a week's grace period before they are required to have obtained the school uniform.  That goes for everyone here, not just Mr. Yui," he added, with a slightly distasteful glance in Duo's direction.

 

For a moment, Hiiro turned his scorching glance on the teacher, who actually gulped.  Then, without changing expression, he strode between the desks and sat down right in the one next to Duo.  Duo stared at him in amazement, but Hiiro did not turn to look at him.

 

After a confused moment, the lesson resumed.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

At lunch, Relena ate her meal and listened to the other girls complaining.

 

"What is this school _coming_ to?  Did you _see_ the riffraff we've been landed with this year?"

 

"I know what you mean," another girl answered in disgust.  "First that filthy orphanage kid, then that creepy guy who looks like he's never seen a comb in his life before--"

 

"Listen to yourselves," Relena interjected quietly.  As usual, her friends stopped talking immediately and gave all their attention to her.  "Those poor kids at the orphanage don't have anyone else to take care of them.  The orphanage runs almost solely on donations; I'd be surprised if they can afford to feed the kids enough, much less send them to good schools.  I think this government program is wonderful if it means some kid gets a chance to make a better life for himself."

 

"And the creepy guy?" the girls started asking eagerly.  "What do you think of him, Relena-sama?"

 

Relena didn't answer for a minute.  There was no way she could tell her friends about what she had seen that morning, Hiiro sneaking out of an office - out the window, from the third floor! - and pulling a gun on her when she startled him.  He was so young; he couldn't be a terrorist or something, could he?

 

"I think he is a very interesting person," she said finally.  "I'd like to get to know him better."

 

The girls all shrieked with laughter.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"You're _eating lunch_?"

 

Trowa looked up at his partner, who was staring at him in disbelief.  Trowa shrugged.  "It's called blending in."

 

"Yes, you blend in perfectly, sitting in a corner all by yourself," Hiiro said sarcastically.

 

Trowa frowned.  "Not everyone is the Perfect Soldier, 01.  We can't all keep going at full capacity if we're underfed.  Speaking of which, sit down, I've got an extra sandwich you can have."

 

Hiiro stared at him.

 

"Hiiro," Trowa said again, more quietly than usual.  "Sit down.  Eating a sandwich will not interfere with the mission.  We can talk about our findings so far."

 

" _Are_ there findings?" Hiiro edged.  "We haven't had gym yet."

 

Trowa smiled a little.  "What would you say if I told you that there is a student in my advanced math class named Winner?"

 

After a moment, Hiiro picked up the sandwich and sat down.  "Make your report," he said curtly, taking a bite.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Gym that day was held outside, on the basketball courts.  While the coach took care of first day necessities, some of the unoccupied students went at it with basketballs.

 

Duo soon proved to be a terror on the court, from his quick, aggressive moves to his frequent yelling of abuse, bragging, and challenges.  The game had started with nearly fifteen players - surprisingly soon, only a handful were left.

 

The coach's cell phone suddenly went off.  He pulled it out, then hissed in irritation when he saw the number.  "I gotta take this," he muttered to no one in particular, and hurried, rather guiltily, into the building.

 

Duo shouted in disgust as his last opponents walked off the court, sweating profusely and swearing in frustration.

 

"What's the matter, you can't take it?" he yelled after them.  "Can't handle a Maxwell, that's what it is, yah!"  All the while secretly pleased by his obvious superiority, despite the fact that his injured arm was freely bleeding from the exertion.  In _this_ place, at least, he didn't feel like a filthy orphan whom nobody but the church wanted.  Here, he felt like he could actually be somebody--

 

His thoughts broke off when two boys approached, apparently taking up his challenge.  The sight of them made Duo fall silent for a minute - it was Yui, from earlier, and an almost equally scary-looking companion.  Neither spoke; both were concentrated on him with cold, cold eyes.

 

"Heh," he finally laughed, hiding his nervousness behind bravado.  "I'll take you both on at once, you creepy--"  He never got farther than that, because at that point both sprang into action.  Yui had brushed past him quick as lightning and apparently snagged the ball, because Duo saw that it was no longer in his hands.  The other guy just _disappeared_.

 

Shocked and disoriented, Duo whirled around to find them both scoring baskets, then turning to look at him dispassionately.

 

"HEY!" he shouted, and flung himself after them.

 

It took a minute for him to adjust, to realize that he wasn't playing against easy opponents, to start pushing his body to the max.  But once Duo was revved, there was no stopping him.  No longer did he have time or energy to spare for shouts and goading; the game, if that's what it still was, was performed in verbal silence.  Even the spectators didn't say much, so intensely were they watching.

 

Yui and the other guy were _good_.  Their speed and reflexes seemed superhuman; Duo was actually surprised he was managing to keep the score so close.  But it was fast becoming clear that he would never be able to beat these guys on his own - they made it look so easy, it was almost as if they were playing with him, and here he was drenched with sweat and already tiring.

 

The ball fumbled loose from his hands, and Duo fell to his knees.  Roaring with frustration, he surged back to his feet and whirled to face the watching crowd.  "Someone help me!" he shouted, cursing.  He could _not_ let these two punks win, not now, after all his boasting and gloating.

 

But the spectators were uneasy.  Everyone Duo cast his eye on flinched or looked away or even drew back.  It dawned on Duo that none of them wanted to face the two Unbeatable Freaks...if they would even have been willing to ally with the Smelly Orphan Freak to do so in the first place.

 

Furious, Duo's eyes finally fell on a couple of boys who did not look away, one who was watching the game with detached curiosity, the other - Wufei, he noted distractedly - so absorbed in a book that he had not been looking up to begin with.

 

Duo marched over, grabbed the collar of the fancy-pants pretty boy (he looked vaguely familiar) and dragged him to his feet.  "Let's go," he snarled into the boy's startled face.  "Even a girl like you is better than nothing."

 

" _What_ did you say?" Quatre gasped in shock, one hand flying self-consciously to his hair.

 

Duo was already dragging him over to Wufei, who was all nerded up in a pair of glasses and probably had no clue what was going on.  Duo snatched the book and flung it away, which he might not have done if his mind was less clouded by a competitive haze.  "And you!  Get up, let's go!"

 

Wufei's outraged, icy glare was enough to clear Duo's head for just a moment, making him wonder if perhaps this had not been the wisest move.  The Chinese boy rose majestically to his feet and was about to say something no doubt deeply cutting, when a girl's voice suddenly rang out over the court.

All heads turned to see Meilan, already in the school-issued gym shorts and shirt, practically posing against the fence of the adjacent girls' basketball court as she grinned invitingly at her boyfriend.  "Come on, Wufei," she called again.  "Show 'em who's the best."

 

Without a word, Wufei took off his glasses and stalked onto the court.

 

"B-But I don't know how to play," Quatre protested as Duo's violent eyes turned back to him.

 

"What's not to get?" Duo spat recklessly.  "You bounce the ball and throw it in the net down there.  Come _on_!"  He yanked Quatre back onto the court with him, where Hiiro and Trowa waited.  Trowa was dribbling the ball slowly, almost tauntingly; Hiiro stood with crossed arms, observing everything in silence.

 

There was a moment of hesitation, and then the five boys blasted into motion.  No longer was there any semblance to a game - it was a war.  Hiiro and Trowa were ruthless, Duo and Wufei drove themselves hard.  Quatre seemed to wander after them helplessly at first, but eventually it seemed like he got the hang of it, trying for the ball every time he got a chance, bouncing it as he ran, and throwing it into nets.  Once or twice Duo raged at him when he scored in the wrong goal or forgot to dribble the ball as he ran.  But the Freaks said nothing, and Duo suddenly understood that this was no longer a game with nice little rules.  To Hiiro and Trowa, it was something else, though none of their opponents could have said what.

 

It happened when Trowa was apparently trying for a lay-up.  The only problem was, he never came down.  The ball bounced and rolled off-court, forgotten, as everyone stared gaping up at Trowa, who stood balanced as confidently as a cat on the goal's backboard.

 

"Wh-What...?" Quatre stammered.

 

"Did you _see_..?!" Duo started to say, whirled around to find Hiiro, and stopped.  The Japanese boy was somehow now atop the other goal, sitting with apparent ease as he stared down at the three below.

 

The arrogance Duo perceived in his face was too much.  "That does it!" Duo shouted, and ran at Hiiro's goal.  He meant to climb up the pole, but it seemed like he only touched the thing once with hands and feet before he found himself, very surprised, perched next to Hiiro, wobbling only a little.  He was startled to hear Hiiro suddenly chuckle, low and triumphant.

 

Quatre, staring at them, turned helplessly to face Trowa again.  The green-eyed boy tilted his head invitingly.  Quatre swallowed.  "I can't," he whispered.

 

Trowa spoke.  "Come on, Quatre."  It was so quiet, but there was such a note in his voice, expectant and calm, that Quatre suddenly ran and jumped and there he was, huddled next to Trowa, somehow balancing on the edge of the backboard without falling.

 

Wufei knew it was his turn, and he wasn't having any of it.  He made to walk off the court, but then Hiiro was on him.  A leap and the Japanese boy was on the ground; a flash of orange as he hurled the basketball; Wufei deflected it, but not in time to escape as Hiiro came attacking in its wake.  Wufei reacted instinctively with martial arts moves, surprised that he would need to use them at school.  How on earth had this kid learned so much of fighting that he was able to keep Wufei dancing, unable to land a blow, blocking attacks only with the greatest concentration and effort?  Wufei had to use the wall, leaping up, kicking off it, practically flying through the air in an attempt to break free of his opponent.  And then, when Hiiro finally paused, finally just stood there and looked at him appraisingly, Wufei went hot with anger as he realized he had been somehow tested, and passed.

 

"I don't know what you're looking for," he growled at Hiiro, "but I am having no part of it."  This time, Hiiro let him go.

 

Hiiro went up to where Duo still teetered, looking confused and frustrated, and called up to him flatly.  "Aren't you coming down?"

 

"Yeah, when I'm good and ready," Duo shouted back.  To tell the truth, he had no idea how to get down.  It was too far to jump, and sliding down looked tricky, requiring mental preparation.

 

Hiiro's eyes narrowed.  He was back up beside Duo in a flash, and without a word of warning, gave him a shove.

 

Duo had not finished yelling and cursing when he found himself back on the floor, miraculously in a protective crouch and not, for example, splayed out with a smashed face and dislocated limbs.  Cautiously, he stood up, took a few steps, and he felt - fine.  "What...?" he gasped, barely able to speak from tension.

 

Quatre, watching all this in increasing amazement, was a little startled when he heard Trowa's quiet voice in his ear.

 

"Are you going down, or do I have to push you?"

 

Quatre gulped.  Realizing he was going to end up in the air one way or another, he closed his eyes, put his life in Trowa's hands, and let himself fall over.

 

There was a thump.  After a long, long moment, Quatre nervously opened his eyes and found himself in a similar crouch, unscathed.  In relief, he promptly collapsed.

 

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!"  The coach came charging out of his office, slipping his cell phone into his pocket and vowing never, ever to leave his class unattended again.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Trowa was unhappy afterwards.  "I think we went too far.  There were three of them, not two.  What if we'd guessed wrong?"

 

Hiiro merely grunted, unconcerned.  "We didn't."

 

"But if we had.  We could have killed one of them."  The thought disturbed Trowa a little, so he pushed it down, somewhere else in his mind where he put all the other thoughts that would torment him if he didn't keep them suppressed.

 

Hiiro glanced sideways at him, annoyed.  " _You_ were the one who pushed the least likely candidate."

 

"Least likely?" Trowa exclaimed, too quickly.  "Did you _see_ him?"  At a narrow-eyed look from Hiiro, Trowa forced himself to calm down and speak more methodically.  "Winner had obviously never played basketball in his life before.  Yet he picked up the basic rules in less than an hour of observation, and matched the others in speed once he was finally on the court.  His form was atrocious, yet his first few shots were close, and after that he made every goal he attempted.  Note that this was all in unsuitable shoes."

 

Hiiro shrugged.  "You think we should eliminate Chang, then?"

 

Trowa frowned.  "Eliminate?"

 

"The mission."  Hiiro was glaring again, angry that Trowa seemed so off-task to him.  "Two candidates."

 

Trowa was not much for glaring, but he faced the other boy squarely in the eye.  "You're going to leave one unreported?"

 

"OZ sent us to find two," Hiiro continued stubbornly.

 

"Does OZ know everything?" Trowa countered.  "And believe it or not, the mission isn't everything, 01."

 

Hiiro drew his gun and pointed it at him.

 

Trowa's expression did not change.  After a moment, he said, "Make the report however you want.  I'm going to the computer lab to look up three addresses."  He walked away.

 

Hiiro slowly lowered the gun, then took out his communicator to contact his superiors.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Looking up the addresses of the three candidates was not the first thing Trowa did when he left.

 

"Mother."

_"Barton.  Why must you always take so long to call?"_

 

"I report information when I have it."

_"And what have you found?"_

 

"There are three candidates, not two."

 

A low chuckle.  _"Of course there are three."_

 

Trowa paused.  "Why were we sent to only find two?"

_"Because OZ and the Alliance are idiots,"_ was the snapped reply.  _"They apparently can't think of other...possibilities."_

 

Trowa was quiet for a long time.  "You mean, on the enemy's side."

 

Again, a laugh.  _"Exactly."_

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  I started this fic after realizing that all my Gundam Wing stories were really old and somewhat OOC.  I wanted to write about the GW characters in a more mature way.  Brainstorming ideas for a new story, I realized that many of my fics have some kind of AU element to them, so I worked out the rough outline of an alternate universe Gundam Wing story.


	2. Act 2 - Recruiting

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 2 - Recruiting**

 

Gym was the last period of the day.  After changing, Meilan rushed outside and bounded up to Wufei, who was waiting just outside the boys' locker room.

 

"What a day, huh!" she laughed when she reached him.

 

Wufei merely grunted.

 

"Oh, come on, you weren't impressed to see those guys leaping tall buildings in a single bound?"

 

"Those were basketball goals.  Not buildings."

 

"Culturally illiterate moron," she said affectionately.  "Where's Duo?"

 

"Taking forever to get ready," Wufei responded irritably.  He turned and called through the door, "Duo!  If you aren't finished in one minute, we are leaving without you!"

 

"Coming!" Duo called back gaily, re-braiding his damp hair after that luxurious shower.  He stuffed his soaked church clothes in a bag (he had taken the opportunity to wash them, too) and fairly scampered out the door.  "Thanks for the change of clothes, Wu-man."

 

"My name is _Chang_.  And why are you so...energetic?" Wufei asked.

 

"Did you _see_ what happened today?" Duo responded, eyes shining.  "Like, we totally beat those guys, and then--  wow, I bet I can leap tall buildings in a single bound or something!"

 

Meilan burst into laughter.  Wufei was not amused.

 

The three of them set out to walk home together, Duo and Meilan chatting about the day's events, Wufei lost in a brooding mood.  Near the front gates, Duo caught sight of a lonely, yellow-haired figure waiting with the other kids who got picked up after school.

 

"Hey, it's that fancy-pants dude," Duo said interestedly.

 

"The one from gym?" Meilan said with equal interest.  "Let's go talk to him!"

 

"Why?" Wufei wanted to know.  Meilan flicked his ponytail and headed over in Quatre's direction.

 

Quatre jerked his head up, a little skittishly, when he saw them approach.  "Oh," he said glumly, though also with a bit of relief.  "It's you guys."

 

Duo, who finally recognized him in that instant, squirmed guiltily.  "Oh...hi.  Hey, man, I'm sorry about this morning, you know?"

 

"This morning?" Quatre said in confusion, his mind still on basketball.  Then his eyes widened.  "This morning!"

 

"Yeah."  Duo's face was red.  "I mean...you'd caught me at a bad time."

 

Quatre smiled, and Duo's embarrassment seemed to melt away at the sincerity of it.  "That's okay.  I don't blame you.  I wouldn't be in the best mood myself, if it was me."

 

"Oooh, you saw Duo getting beat up," Meilan realized, knocking Duo playfully on his bandaged shoulder.

 

"Beat up?" Quatre echoed, his eyes twinkling.  "Didn't look quite that way to me...I wasn't sure who the bad guys were, really.  The others were all bloody when they left."

 

Duo laughed appreciatively.

 

"Oh, there's Ahmad," Quatre said, noticing the familiar car pulling up to the school.  "Hey...did you guys need a ride home?"

 

"No," Wufei said indignantly.

 

"What, and get to spend less time with my Fei?" Meilan added more tactfully.  "Never."  She hugged Wufei's arm and smiled at Quatre, who nodded.

 

"I'll take a ride," Duo put in shamelessly.  "Walking takes for-freaking-ever."

 

"See you boys tomorrow, then," Meilan said, and led Wufei off.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Looking back on it, Wufei decided that the last happy time was that walk home with Meilan.  He wished he had known to appreciate it more, walking hand in hand with her and drinking in her smiles, her teasing, her brightness, her beauty.

 

When they reached Wufei's house, they came in, laughing about something, and both pulled up short when they reached the kitchen.

 

Hiiro was sitting at the table, an untouched cup of tea in front of him, listening silently as Mistress Long engaged in some meandering story.

 

"It's the basketball guy!" Meilan exclaimed.

 

"What are you doing here?" Wufei demanded in a rage.

 

Hiiro looked up at him.  "I need to talk to you."

 

"So you invade my house?!"

 

"Wufei."  It was Mistress Long.  Her voice was no louder than usual, but their eyes were on her at once.  Her tone was unusually grave as she said, "I think it is important that you speak with this boy."  Laboriously, the old woman made her way out of her chair and reached for the girl.  "Meilan, come help me into the living room.  The news is coming on in a few minutes."

 

Meilan glanced from one boy to the other, then went to offer her arm to the old woman.

 

When they were alone, Hiiro stood and began in a businesslike manner.  "Chang Wufei, my name is Hiiro Yui.  I am known as agent 01, an operative for the United Earth Sphere Alliance.  I have been sent here by OZ, its technological development division, to search for other operatives who have been missing for over fourteen years.  Today, my partner and I identified three individuals who fit the descriptions given us.  You are one of them.  I am here to request that you return with me to the Alliance in order to fulfill the purposes you bred and trained for - currently, to oppose and obstruct the actions of White Fang, a rebel group that threatens the peace of the world nation."

 

There was a pause.

 

Wufei opened his mouth to order the obviously insane person out of his house, when something occurred to him.  "Why does my grandmother seem to trust you?"

 

Hiiro frowned.  He was not used to answering this kind of question.  "It appears," he said finally, "that, for reasons I am unaware of, she seems to have some knowledge of my background."  It occurred to him that he would have to include that in his next report.

 

Wufei turned this answer over in his mind for a while.  Then he raised his head and said, "You claim to work for an organization that represents the world as a single nation.  You say I somehow have connections to this organization from birth, yet you offer no proof.  You speak of a dangerous rebel group whose name is mentioned nowhere else.  I am a man of straight dealing, and this holds no appeal for me.  The only reason I am still tolerating your presence is because my grandmother has expressed her goodwill towards you."

 

Hiiro was silently impressed that Wufei had picked out the two oddities that could only be explained by the information Hiiro was still withholding from him.  "I have given you all the information I am authorized to reveal at this time.  Will you come, or must I report your noncompliance?"

 

Wufei's eyes narrowed.  "What happens if I choose not to comply?"

 

"That is not my decision," Hiiro answered.

 

Wufei shook his head.  "Get out.  As I said before, I will have no part in this."  He fixed his stone-cold eyes on Hiiro's.

 

"Understood," Hiiro replied.  He left.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Duo and Quatre were well on the way to becoming splendid friends.  Quatre impressed Duo with descriptions of his luxurious apartment and his huge, warm, strange family, while Duo kept Quatre entertained with stories about the antics he and the other orphans got up to.  Quatre asked if Duo would like to stay for tea, and the Maxwell ward was not about to pass up an offer of free food.

 

So it was that the two boys were in high spirits when they walked into Quatre's apartment and discovered that it had been broken into.

 

"What- why did- how did you get in here?" Quatre stammered.

 

Trowa gazed back at them with his calm, unreadable green eyes.

 

"Geez, punk," Duo added hotly, rushing to support his new friend.  "It's not enough you gotta be creepy at school, now you're invading people's homes?"

 

"Aren't you curious," Trowa asked, settled comfortably in an easy chair, "about why the three of you were able to perform so extraordinarily during that basketball game?"

 

Duo and Quatre fell silent.  Of course they were curious.

 

"Get comfortable, make yourselves at home," Trowa offered, not without a sense of irony.  "I'm here to tell you something important."

 

"Oh that's rich," Duo scoffed.  "Playing the host in another guy's house--"

 

"It's okay, Duo," Quatre said warily.  "Let's get something to eat and hear him out."

 

Tension apparently had no effect on Duo's appetite.  Quatre paused with a cracker halfway to his mouth and watched, wide-eyed, as the braided boy devoured platefuls of muffins, cookies, bananas, and some kind of sugary, papery Arabian sweet.

 

"This is the life," Duo mumbled happily through the food.  He gulped an entire cup of tea to wash it all down.

 

"Um...would you like anything?" Quatre asked the intruder, once he had managed to tear his eyes away from his apparently starving friend.

 

"No," Trowa responded.  "You can call me Trowa, by the way."

 

"Oh, nice to meet you," Duo snapped sarcastically.  "I'm Bill Cox and this is Marvin What-the-Freak-Are-You-Doing-Here?"

 

"Why were we able to do those things?" Quatre asked, more to the point.  "Jump so high and land without getting hurt."  He hesitated, then added, "What were you looking for?"

 

Trowa nodded.  "We were testing you.  Hiiro and I work for an organization called the United Earth Sphere Alliance..."  When he had finished, Duo and Quatre sat staring at him, both wondering if he was crazy.

 

"United Earth Sphere?" Quatre said in confusion.  "The Earth's not united."

 

Trowa gave a low chuckle.  "Not yet."

 

"What do you mean, not yet?" Duo snapped.  "And what's the deal with this 'missing for fourteen years' thing?"

 

Choosing not to answer the first question, Trowa pointed out, "Neither of you know who your parents are, am I right?"

 

Duo and Quatre glanced at each other uncomfortably.

 

"Hiiro and I, and the two we are looking for, were trained from birth by OZ, bred as soldiers to carry out special missions for the Alliance.  We have been genetically enhanced to be stronger, faster, and smarter than most humans.  Don't tell me you've never suspected something was different about you."

 

Duo looked away, but Quatre frowned and said, "I've never felt different.  Today was the first time anything weird like this happened."

 

Trowa was silent for a minute.  Then he said, "These people you live with, these Maganacs.  They don't strike me as very ordinary people.  How could you tell what's normal and what's not, when you've grown up in an atypical environment?"

 

Quatre couldn't really argue with that.  He knew better than anyone that there was much more to the Maganacs than met the eye.

 

"What I need to know," Trowa continued, "is your response."

 

"Like, what, if we're going to join the Dark Side or something?" Duo scoffed, imitating a movie villain's voice.

 

Trowa suddenly laughed, sharply and mirthlessly.  "The Dark Side...I wonder sometimes."  Then he shook his head.  It would not do to go giving these boys such hints, not now.  "What should I tell my superiors?  Have I got two recruits?"

 

"No way," Duo answered at once.  "You guys creep me out."

 

"I'm sorry," Quatre apologized.  "But this is really out of the blue, and it doesn't quite make sense.  I'm afraid I can't agree to something like this."

 

Trowa nodded.  Then, with nothing more to say, he got up and walked out of the apartment.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

They met up shortly after.

 

"Results?" Hiiro asked.

 

"No go, with either of them."

 

"Chang was resistant, too."

 

They were quiet for a moment.

 

"Do you think the Alliance anticipated this response?" Trowa finally asked.

 

Hiiro shrugged.  "I can't see Treize at a loss, especially for something as minor as this."

 

Trowa closed his eyes briefly in agreement.

 

"In any case," Hiiro continued, "our mission to locate and test the candidates is complete.  We will report back and await further orders."

 

"You sound like you're looking forward to it," Trowa commented.

 

Hiiro frowned, not understanding.  Reporting in and accepting new orders was simply the next thing to do.  He pulled out his communicator without bothering to reply.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

That night, to put the strange visit from that boy out of his mind, Wufei called Meilan's cell phone.

_"Hello?"_

 

"Meilan."

_"Hi, hon!"_

 

"What are you doing?"

_"Church night!"_ she replied brightly.  _"I'm volunteering at the orphanage again.  You should have come too, Wufei."_

 

"Too busy."

_"Tsk.  Too busy getting frustrated about Basketball Boy's story, right?"_

 

Wufei frowned in annoyance.  The whole point of calling her was to _avoid_ that subject.  "You were eavesdropping."

_"Of course!  What do you take me for?"_

 

He sighed.

_"I asked Grandmother about it afterward.  She said she doesn't remember Basketball Boy specifically, but she thinks his story is true.  Because of the way she adopted you."_

 

"Is that all?" Wufei asked curiously.

_"All what?"_

 

"The only reason she trusted him?  Because she thinks we might have come from the same place?"

_"I guess so."_   A bored sigh.  _"But hey, enough of mysterious spy movie talk.  You doing anything this weekend?"_

 

"Practice.  Homework."

_"In other words, nothing!  Let's go grab a pizza and see--"_   There was a sudden loud noise in the background, and her voice cut off.

 

He waited.  "Meilan?"

 

Nothing.

 

"Meilan?" he called again.  Frowning, he pulled the phone away from his ear and saw that the call had been disconnected.  He dialed again.

_"I'm sorry,"_ said a pre-recorded voice, _"the number you have dialed cannot be reached at this time."_

_'What?'_ Wufei thought, startled.  He dialed again.  The same message.

 

There was a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach that he tried to suppress.  There was no logical reason to get upset.  Still, it would be kind of nice, now that he thought of it, to go visit Meilan at the church, to help out with whatever she was doing there.

 

"Grandmother," he called, "I am going out for a while."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Duo and Quatre talked about Trowa's mysterious revelation for a long while.

 

"Think he's off his rocker?" Duo asked at one point.

 

Quatre laughed.  "I don't _think_ so, not to look at him."

 

"Pretty far out, though, right?" Duo insisted.

 

They got tired of talking when the conversation started going in circles.  Quatre got up to wash their plates, as Duo went in search of the restroom.  Quatre was just drying the dishes when Duo came pelting back up to him.

 

"You have a whole VIDEO ARCADE in there!!!!"

 

Quatre laughed again.  He seemed to be doing that a lot with Duo around.  "I don't play much, really.  It's mostly for my nephews - the Maganacs' kids, I mean - when they come around."  But he didn't resist when Duo dragged him back into the spare bedroom, where they tried out racing games and fighting games and sports games, until Quatre was exhausted and Duo perhaps ready to admit that he might be starting to get restless.

 

"Shouldn't you be getting home?" Quatre suggested, yawning.  "Did you even call to let your parents - or, sorry, whoever's in charge of you - know where you're at?"

 

"Nah, I'm always running off, they're not gonna send out the army or anything," Duo said.  All the same, he thought it might be a good idea call it quits for the day.  He was startled to look out the windows and find that night had completely fallen while they were engrossed in video games.  "Dude!  Okay, yeah, I guess I gotta go."  He jumped up to find his stuff as Quatre leaned over to turn off the game system and start putting things away.

 

The television was now displaying an ordinary station, and Duo paused in the doorway when he thought he heard a familiar name.  "Maxwell Church?" he exclaimed, turning back to look.  "Hey, that's where I live!"

 

Then he saw the images panning across the screen, and could just barely hear the words of the newscaster through his suddenly fuzzy hearing.  For a minute, both boys stared at the TV.

 

Then Duo turned and ran.

 

"Wait, Duo!" Quatre shouted after him, still shocked.  "You can't run all the way there by yourself!"  Frantic, Quatre shot out the front door, yelling for Rashid, Abdul, anyone.  "Someone HELP ME!"

 

All over the building, doors opened and grim-looking Arabian men poured out, many of them openly armed.

 

"Quatre-sama!" Rashid called, reaching him first.

 

"Rashid - oh, I'm fine, I'm okay - Rashid, it's Duo!  That boy I brought - he ran off, we have to find him; someone get the car!"

 

The Maganacs could make little sense of this wild babbling, but it was clear that urgency was needed.  The car squealed off into the night, pausing by Duo as it caught up to him.

 

"It can't be," Duo whispered, sitting next to Quatre in the back seat.  His hands were shaking.  "It can't be, they must have got the wrong place, there's no way, no reason...."

 

Quatre did not know what to say.  His chest hurt.

 

Duo barely remembered the ride to the church, only that it seemed interminable.  The minute the car slowed down enough, he had shoved the door open and jumped out.

 

It was like stumbling through a nightmare.  There were flames, debris, a horrible smell in the air, cries all around, other people stumbling in the dark beside and around him, and no, no, he knew that boy, that dead boy lying there; Duo shied away and realized he was sobbing and hadn't even known it and something white on the ground - a flash of fair hair, no, no, it was her, he hadn't even known she was blonde, or so pretty, she was so beautiful now even with her face battered, clothes filthy as she lay sprawled on the ground--

 

Duo flung himself down beside Sister Helen.  Her face, even twisted with pain, was still somehow glad to see him, lit up when he leaned over her.  She lifted a trembling, sooty hand to his face.  "I'm...so glad...you're safe...."

 

"D-Don't leave me," he whispered, gripping her hand in his.  "Don't leave!  You're all I have!"

 

Even in this moment, her face was so compassionate.  He could see her gathering herself to speak once again.  "Duo...may you have...God's blessing...."  Those words took the last of her strength.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Wufei could not keep calm.  First there was the dull boom of an explosion somewhere down there, in the direction he was heading.  He heard it and broke into a run, then made himself slow back down.  No reason to lose control, nothing yet--

 

Those were flames in the distance, flickering luridly in the night.

 

This time he did not make himself slow down.

 

Wufei reached the church, only it wasn't the church, it was the wrong place, had to be, because there was nothing here, just a blackened, smoking foundation, a plain of broken glass and concrete, fires flashing off the terrified faces of people who moaned and wailed and cried.

_'This is the wrong place,'_ Wufei kept telling himself, not even aware of his own thoughts, so focused was he on finding someone, a girl, only he would be searching all night because he wouldn't find her, she had to have left before this happened, in fact this could not have happened to her at all because this was the wrong place.

_'Wrong place,'_ Wufei thought again, staring and staring at this lifeless body lying on the ground.  He had passed and looked at many bodies, and they hadn't been her; so why was he so fixated on this one, and she was so, so beautiful, even with her face so bloody and still; but no, not beautiful, hideous, the face was hideous in her last torment.

 

"MEILAN!"  He couldn't control his mouth screaming over and over, "No!  No!  No!  No...!"

 

_To be continued...._


	3. Act 3 - Grieving

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 3 - Grieving**

 

 _All he had been doing was sitting peacefully, reading a book about Japan's feudal age._ She _was the one with the problem, running up and yelling, "Chang Wufei!" as if he'd done something wrong._

_He glanced up and tried to silence the coming tirade with a single icy look.  It didn't work._

_"How could you humiliate me like that, in front of the whole class?!  I don't care that you've never liked me, you stuck-up pansy, but to act like such a know-it-all and make me look like a fool...!"_

_So that's what she was upset about.  "You were making_ yourself _look like a fool.  Nataku is a great hero, a god.  You are a female, and a particularly silly one at that.  You have no right to take that name for yourself."_

_Meilan's face turned an extraordinary color.  Plunging her hand into her jacket pocket, Meilan brandished the elegant little short sword she usually had stowed there._

_(She always insisted afterwards, "I wasn't going to stab you!  I would_ never _do that!  I was just...gonna beat you black and blue with the flat.  Or something.")_

_"I will not tolerate insult!  I, Nataku, will defend my honor!" she shouted, charging.  "Hyaaaah!"_

_Meilan would never, ever forget the day a stuck-up bookworm, using nothing but his bare hands, disarmed her, knocked her down, and held her own sword to her throat._

_"Women," he said disgustedly.  "So hysterical over trivialities.  You dishonor your own name, much less the name of Nataku."  He tossed the short sword aside and walked away.  Meilan watched him go with hot tears sliding down her face, fists clenched in fury._

0-0-0-0-0

_"Wufei," Mistress Long asked a few days later, "do you have a suit for that dance of yours yet?"_

_Wufei could not give his grandmother an irritated look, so he settled for a wary one.  "Grandmother, I am not going to the school dance."_

_Mistress Long sighed.  "My child, I know you find social situations awkward.  Yet it is for that very reason you must overcome your fear and learn to interact with people."_

_Wufei tried to hide his outrage.  "Grandmother, I am not_ afraid _.  I simply have no use for attending such an event."_

_The old woman continued as if she had not even heard.  "Yes, this will be an appropriate opportunity for you to cast off all cowardice and take your rightful place among your peers."_

_"Why do you speak of fear and cowardice?" Wufei cried, his proud spirit burning within him.  "Must I prove my courage by something so ridiculous?"  His grandmother merely continued to sigh and shake her head.  Wufei's eyes narrowed.  "I will show you that I fear nothing!"  He stomped out, presumably to obtain a suit._

_Mistress Long grinned._

0-0-0-0-0

_The stupid dress had a tag in the seam that dug maddeningly into her side.  The new shoes were giving her blisters and she had the uncomfortable feeling that way too much of her chest was exposed._

_How had she let herself get coerced into this?  Meilan grimaced and looked out across the room, where people were dancing or talking merrily amidst gaudy decorations and disgusting pop music.  Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the last person she ever expected to see at this stupid dance._

_Wufei had been near the fringes of the crowd, wishing he could be doing something important and glaring at anyone unfortunate enough to approach the punch bowl next to him._

_Why was he doing this, again?_

_An angry face appeared unexpectedly in his vision.  "What are_ you _doing here?" Meilan demanded._

_"What people normally do at dances," Wufei shot back._

_"_ Most _people don't skulk behind the refreshment table," Meilan pointed out witheringly.  "Except the losers, of course."_

_It was a horrible feeling when Wufei saw that she was right.  "Most people dance," he realized._

_"Yes," Meilan answered, her voice tense.  Almost defiantly, Wufei reached out and took hold of her.  Meilan glared up into his face, too proud to admit that the reason she wasn't pulling away was because no one had dared to dance with her all night.  Wufei pushed her backward, and she nearly lost her balance.  "What are you doing?" she demanded._

_"How else are we supposed to get onto the dance floor?"_

_"You could_ escort _me, you lout."  Wufei, not knowing what else to do, ignored this and continued to push her backwards until they stood among the other couples, some of whom were staring uneasily._

_Then they stood there some more._

_Wufei was just opening his mouth to ask, "What now?" when Meilan said uncertainly, "In the movies, people kind of...sway and walk around."_

_"Walk around?" Wufei said doubtfully._

_"As they sway," Meilan repeated defensively._

_They swayed, rather stiffly.  Then they tried to walk around while swaying._

_"I don't think this is working," Wufei observed._

_"Why did you ask me to dance if you don't even know how?" Meilan said hotly, to hide embarrassment at her own ineptitude._

_"Aren't women supposed to be the graceful ones, expert in such arts?" Wufei countered._

_It might have come to blows if another student hadn't come up to them at that point, laughing.  "This is painful to watch," he chuckled.  "Here, honey, let me take you off his hands and show you how it's done--"_

_Wufei shoved him away._

_There was a muffled chorus of surprised cries as people turned to look at the student on the ground._

_"Don't touch her," Wufei growled._

_The guy raised his hands as he scrambled to his feet.  "Geez, fine!  You're welcome to each other!"  He walked away, red-faced._

_"You didn't have any right to do that," Meilan said angrily.  "What am I, your girlfriend?"_

_"You are...my guardian's granddaughter," Wufei said, a little uncomfortably.  Come to think of it, why on earth had he said something like that?_

_"Really?  So, what, you're dancing with me out of obligation?  Or pity for such a weakling who can never measure up to you?"  The memory of their last charged meeting hit her strongly, and Meilan realized that if she spoke any more, she was going to cry._

_He let go of her and stepped back.  "If this doesn't suit you, fine.  It's not like I_ want _to be wasting my time here."_

_"Then I won't_ waste my time _with you, either!" Meilan shouted back at him.  She turned to shove her way to the door before she completely disgraced herself by bursting into tears._

_The night air was cool and quiet, a relief from the noisy warmth of the dance.  She had to practically feel her way along the wall, her eyes were so blurry from tears.  Finally she stumbled to her knees and let herself cry her heart out._

_"You're such a weakling!" she shouted at herself.  "Is that all you can do, Meilan, cry like a_ girl? _No wonder he hates you; you with your stupid bragging, can't even land a punch on that snobby, uptight JERK!"  More sobbing, and then she whispered brokenly, "I can't even dance."  How come she had never thought to learn?  "He was right.  I'm no Nataku.  I'm ashamed to even be Meilan."_

_She knelt there for a long time, leaning her forehead against the rough wall as tears dripped sluggishly down her face, burrowing deeper and deeper into self-pity._

_"Your dress is getting dirty.  How long are--"  The voice was so sudden, so close and unexpected, that Meilan gasped and jerked around.  Immediately she felt a throb of pain on the top of her head and the voice cut off._

_Meilan sat there on her heels, rubbing her aching head and staring open-mouthed at Wufei, who was crouching right next to her._

_He scowled as he rubbed at his bruised jaw.  "How long are you going to wallow in this foolishness?" he finished, a little sullenly._

_"What are you doing?" she said indignantly.  "I thought I was_ alone!"

_"Is it my fault you let your senses get clouded by emotion?" he shot back.  "If you're the fighter I thought you were, you should have known I was there from the beginning."_

_Meilan's face colored.  "How much did you hear?"_

_He looked at her for a minute.  Then he said, "You are not weak.  You are a woman and sometimes foolish, and you will never best me in a fight.  However...."  He extended his arm, so that the tip of his pointing finger nearly touched her skin, directly over her heart.  "This spirit.  It is strong."_

_Meilan stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing.  Was it possible that he did not completely hate her after all?_

_She turned away and stood up.  "I'm going home," she mumbled._

_He stood up with her.  "All right."_

_She looked at him in annoyance.  "So, bye."  But when she started walking, he kept pace with her.  "You don't have to walk me home!"_

_"Yes, I do.  That is what gentlemen do with ladies."_

_"Since when have you been a gentleman?" she taunted._

_He paused.  Then he said, "Since you have been a lady."_

_She realized he was looking at her, her now-muddy gown and her hair, pinned up in a fancy hairstyle but now starting to fall down in little tendrils.  She blushed._

_"I have never seen you in a dress before," he added.  "You look...."_

_"Beautiful?" she supplied defiantly._

_"...not like a boy," he finished._

_"Oh,_ thank _you," she snapped.  "Wonderful compliment, Wufei."  She stalked ahead._

_He kept pace with her._

_They walked side by side for a long time, not speaking.  Finally, though, Meilan gave in to temptation and tentatively slipped her hand into his._

_He made no indication that he had noticed.  But he didn't let go._

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Wufei could not sleep.  Or, more accurately, he could _make_ his body sleep, but there was nothing he could do to stop the dreams.  He didn't know if the nightmares were worse, or the memories.

 

That was why he was in the backyard at three in the morning, doing his daily practice, the same moves over and over and over and over, focusing his mind so intently that all other thought was blotted out.

 

"Wufei."

 

He paused.  What was his grandmother doing up and about at three in the morning?

 

But no, it couldn't be three in the morning.  The sky was full of sunshine.  He hadn't noticed.  He turned to look at her, where she stood on the porch.

 

"Wufei," Mistress Long said again, softly.  "You must rest.  Come and eat, drink.  Punishing your body so harshly will not bring healing to your spirit."

 

Wufei looked down at himself, and saw that he was soaked with perspiration.  His muscles felt knotted and sore from four or five straight hours of practice with no breaks or even water.  His grandmother was right, he was being a fool.

 

He could no longer block out her face as he showered, the hot water blissfully agonizing against his flesh.  He kept seeing Meilan laughing, Meilan angry, Meilan flirting, Meilan dead, dead--

 

Wufei knocked his fist against the wall so hard the paint cracked.  He wished he could pound his head against the wall too, so hard that his brains would come oozing out and take all the memories and all the hurt with it.

 

Mistress Long had bread and water set out for him when he came back into the kitchen.  He would have been grateful for the simple food if he had noticed.  However, he simply put it into his mouth without looking and chewed; it had no taste.  "I'm going to be late for school," he mumbled when he finished.

 

Mistress Long looked up at him, the only indication of her surprise.  "Wufei?  You wish to go to school today?"

 

He didn't answer.  He was thinking of how busy a person was at school, what with classes and studying and talking.  How noisy it was, kids yelling all the time.  Yes.  Perfect for drowning out unwanted thoughts.  Not like here, where the peace and quiet would drive him mad if he stayed long enough.

 

Wufei packed his bag and left.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Trowa spotted his partner in the courtyard that morning and went up to him.  "The attack last night.  Interesting timing.  Do you know if they used MS or explosives?"

 

Hiiro continued to sit there, staring out at the noisy gathering of teenagers waiting for their classes to start.

 

Trowa frowned.  "Hiiro?"

 

The other boy blinked and turned to face him.  "What?"

 

Trowa studied him.  "The answer to my question," he said carefully.

 

Hiiro paused, his lips moving slightly.  Trowa saw that he was having to replay his memory.  "Explosives," Hiiro finally said.

 

Trowa nodded, though the answer was not important to him.  He noticed Quatre trudging through the gates.  "See you later," he told Hiiro, and headed off in the blonde boy's direction.

 

It was a long time before Hiiro even remembered that Trowa had spoken to him.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

He seemed to have been lying here for ages, staring at the ceiling without seeing it, thoroughly tasting the thought that he had no home, no family; everything was gone.  Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, all the children he had lived with, his friends...gone, _dead_.

 

"God," Duo whispered.  "Are you really up there?  Do you really hate me that much?"  He knew he was a bad kid.  Always stealing and fighting and running off, playing pranks on the good people who had taken him in, always questioning their beliefs so that their faces looked troubled....

 

He hoped they had not lost their places in heaven because of him, because his questions had made them doubt.

 

Duo slowly sat up.  "Is there even a heaven?" he asked, his voice tight and growling.  "Did you take them away to punish me, or did you want to bring them home to you, like Sister Helen always said?"  He glared up at the ceiling.  "Either way, it _sucks_!"

 

No answer.  What did he expect?  Maybe his fears were right, and God didn't exist after all.  Maybe it was only the god of death who was at work here.  Duo had certainly seen enough evidence of _him_.

 

The door creaked, and Quatre peeked in.  "You're awake," he said softly.  Duo didn't respond.  It would have taken too much energy.  "I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving now."

 

He was startled when Duo suddenly shot out of bed.  "You're leaving?!" Duo cried wildly.

 

"I-I'm going to school," Quatre stammered.

 

School.  Duo sank back down to sit on the bed.  "School," he repeated dully.  "The uniform they were supposed to send never came in," he remembered.  He had to swallow several times before he could say, "It'll never arrive now."

 

Quatre hesitated.  Then he stepped across the room and asked softly, "May I?"

_'May you what?'_ Duo thought, but all he said was, "Whatever."

 

Quatre reached out and laid his hand lightly over Duo's heart.  Duo started to give him a strange look, but was distracted by a sudden rush of heat.  HIs eyes widened.  "Your hand...it's glowing!"  He looked up to find heavy tears sliding down the Arabian boy's face.

 

"Oh," Quatre gasped, and pulled away.  He covered his face and began to sob, his body shaking with grief.  Then he collapsed at Duo's feet, weeping and weeping.

 

Duo stared at him in amazement, until finally the other boy began to calm, drawing in deep breaths and trying to wipe away tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

 

"How can you not be crying?" Quatre gasped.  Even now, though he was no longer reaching out with the Spaceheart, the other boy's pain felt so strong.  "How can you just _sit_ there, when your soul is in such anguish?"

 

"Men don't cry," Duo said gruffly.  " _Real_ men don't cry," he added, looking sidelong at Quatre.

 

Quatre shook his head, fiercely scrubbing his sleeve across his face.  "I'm staying here today," he said determinedly.  "I'm staying with you."

 

Duo couldn't stand pity.  "No," he said harshly.  "I'm fine.  Go to school."  When he saw that Quatre was about to protest, he stood and marched into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

 

Quatre stared after him.  "Duo!" he called through the door.

 

"Go away!" the other boy shouted again.  "Go hang out with the Freaks or something!"

 

It took Quatre a minute to realize that he meant Hiiro and Trowa.  Then his face brightened.  "Yes," he said.  "They might know something.  I'll talk to them, Duo.  You stay here and rest."

 

Duo listened to his retreating footsteps, and the sound of the front door closing.  Then he buried his face in his hands and sank to the floor.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Relena Darlian had heard the shocking news, what people were starting to call the Maxwell Church Tragedy.  She couldn't understand why _anyone_ would target an orphanage of all places, a church that took care of homeless children.  There was no one there except good people, innocent children.  How could this have happened?

 

She did not contribute much to her friends' excited conversation about the bombing.  Instead, she found herself frequently scanning the courtyard, straining to find that orphan boy with the church clothes.  Had he survived, or had he been killed in the attack?  It frightened her, to think that a person she had just seen alive and well the day before, walking and laughing, could suddenly be _not here_ anymore.  Gone forever.

 

After a while, it occurred to Relena that even if the Maxwell boy was alive, he almost certainly wouldn't be at school today.  She sighed and was about to pay more attention to her friends, when she caught sight of someone whom she was, to be honest, even more interested in.

 

Hiiro pounded his fist hard against the bench and finally made himself stand up.  There was a lot to do before class, and he had wasted too much time already.  He made his way to the computer lab, gratified to see that despite his delay, the teacher had not yet arrived.

 

It was an easy matter to pick the lock (ludicrously easy...the Wynstone system apparently wasn't in use yet).  Hiiro walked in and flipped on the lights before selecting a computer to work with.  If the teacher came he could just say that someone else had let him in, and if anyone else came in he could say that the teacher had stepped out for a second.

 

Hiiro was well into hacking Winner Corp.'s network when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.  He tensed, fingers ready to erase all sign of his real work and bring up the Web site on quasars he was supposedly researching.

 

Whoever was out there did not walk on by.  They slowed and came into the lab.  Hiiro turned, his mouth open to give a false explanation, when the words died on his lips.  It was that girl - Relena Darlian, the dangerous one.

 

"Hiiro?" she said questioningly.

 

He watched her, waiting.  It didn't occur to him to say _"Hi."_

 

"Um...what are you doing?"

 

"Research."  He allowed her to walk over and peer at the Web site on his computer screen.

 

"Oh," she said.  "That's interesting."  She glanced back at his face, and had to stop herself from backing away.  His eyes on her were so _intense_.  "Um...."  Why had she come here, anyway?  What did she want to say to him?  Nothing in particular.  Nothing she could ask.  She was simply drawn to him, and she didn't know why.

 

"If you need to use a computer, there are plenty."  Hiiro waved a hand at the other machines, then turned back to his own monitor.  Now he would have to putter around, taking useless notes, until either the girl left or he could leave after a reasonable amount of time.

 

"Hiiro...."

 

He glanced back at her.

 

"Did you...hear about the bombing last night?"  Relena was startled at his sudden, complete attention.  His eyes were no longer just intense; they _burned_.

 

"What about it?" he asked harshly.

 

A cold, horrible possibility had occurred to Relena.  "You didn't do it, did you?  You didn't...kill those people?"

 

Hiiro stood.  He was not much taller than her, but somehow he seemed to be looming.  "I don't kill innocent civilians," he said, very clearly.  Then he took his gun and held it to her head.  "However, you are no longer innocent."

_'I know too much,'_ Relena realized, her heart beating like a drum and her mind running frantically.  _'I barely know anything about him, but even so, it's too much, and he's going to kill me.'_   In the computer lab?

 

"You can't shoot me here," she managed to say through trembling lips.

 

Hiiro's finger started to squeeze on the trigger.  Then he realized she was right.  It would not do at _all_ for a student to be found dead on school grounds.  Treize would be most displeased if the mission was compromised so recklessly.

 

Hiiro hid the gun away again, and Relena's breath came out in a gasp of relief.  Before she could say anything, however, Hiiro spoke.

 

"You are correct.  When you leave the school, then.  I will kill you."  He brushed past her and walked out of the room.

 

Relena sank to her knees, her eyes wide with horror.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It never occurred to Wufei to look at a clock, to realize how late he was.  He walked into his first period class and did not recognize any of the other students, but that didn't register.

 

There was a boy sitting where he usually sat.  "Get out of my seat," Wufei ordered.

 

"Are you crazy, man?" the boy returned.

 

"Wufei, honey," the teacher said gently, before it occurred to Wufei to punch him.  "Why don't you head on to your second period?"  The teachers had heard of the bombing that morning, and that Long Meilan had been one of the victims.  Frankly, she was surprised the poor boy was even in school today.

 

"The bell has not rung," Wufei stated.  "It is first period."  There was an uncomfortable pause.  The students who hadn't heard of Wufei's connection to the tragedy giggled.

 

Finally the teacher said, "Ralph, why don't you sit in one of the empty desks today."  The boy shrugged and relinquished his seat to Wufei, who stared straight ahead the entire period and concentrated on every word of the lesson as if his life depended on it.

 

He spent the rest of the day sitting through the wrong classes, as puzzled students stared and whispered, and teachers gave him compassionate looks.  Wufei threw all his attention into doing complicated math problems, memorizing poems, drawing diagrams of famous battles, anything to stop himself thinking of anything that had happened before this morning.  It was like he was encased in a protective shell, his senses gone dull, the outside world meaningless.

 

The shell broke during gym.  Wufei was so aggressive that no one would partner with him except Trowa.  Trowa was silent almost the whole time, catching each pass no matter how hard Wufei threw it.  It was at the end, just before the coach sent them to the locker room, that Trowa stepped close and whispered in Wufei's ear.

 

"Do you understand now what White Fang is like?"  There was no reaction.  Trowa continued in a low voice, "If you've changed your mind, meet us here tonight, at 23:00."  Then he walked away.

 

Wufei's hands curled into fists as he realized the implications of Trowa's words.  White Fang.  White Fang was responsible for Meilan's death.

 

For a moment, the world seemed to look red.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

That same day, very early in the morning, the leader of White Fang walked into the control room at headquarters, warming his hands around a cup of coffee.  He smiled to see that, as usual, his second-in-command was the first to arrive.  He walked over to where she sat at a computer, reading a news story.

 

"Good morning," he murmured.  She seemed preoccupied, so he leaned down to see if he could get away with a quick kiss.

 

She was crying.

 

He stared at her, startled.  "Noin?"

 

Her hand slammed down furiously on the desk beside the keyboard.  "Look at this!" she demanded, stabbing her other hand at the computer screen.

 

He raised his eyes to read the headline.  _MAXWELL CHURCH TRAGEDY: 245 dead in mysterious bombing._

 

"What is....  This happened Otherside?"

 

"The Alliance," she whispered.  "Or Winner, it doesn't matter which.  It's the only way the evidence makes sense."  She turned and pressed her face against him.  He stroked her hair gently, trying to comfort her.  "Oh Zechs, even for them, this is--  That was an orphanage!  It was all civilians who were killed, most of them _children_!  And on Otherside, where they don't even know about the wars...."

 

Zechs placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back, so that he could look into her face.  "Noin," he said seriously.  "Listen to me.  This is why White Fang exists.  It is our job to fight, to stop these things from happening.  You need to stop reading the news and get to work."

 

Noin's face steeled.  She wiped her eyes and saluted.  "Yes, sir!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It seemed like there were voices all around him, cries of fear and pain.  Duo had curled himself into a corner like he used to do when he was small, listening to the voices going on and on in his head.  Sister Helen scolding him, Father Maxwell teaching him, both voices entwined with the screams of his friends as they died (or did they even have time to scream before shinigami cut them down?), the wailing and crying of the aftermath....

 

Duo slowly raised his head.  Surely the sound of crying wasn't real, was it?  His imagination was vivid enough to plague him at times, but....

 

Slowly, somehow, he dragged himself almost to his feet and half-crawled to the door of the apartment.  He almost expected the door to open on a scene of darkness and flame and ashes, but what he actually saw was the brightness of a sunny day, and an exotic-looking little girl sitting on the steps outside, face pressed to her knees as she cried her heart out.  She could not have been more than five years old.

 

Duo stared at her, for some reason thinking, _'I am so glad she's alive.'_   He straightened up, feeling as if some of his energy was coming back.  He took a couple of steps out so he could crouch down in front of the child.  "Hey, cute thing.  What's wrong?"

 

The little girl raised her head and stared at him.  "You're a foreigner," she stated bluntly.

 

Sweatdrop.  "Heh," Duo managed to laugh.  "Well, to me, _you_ look like the foreigner."

 

"What were you doing in Quatre-sama's house?" the child demanded, her tears apparently forgotten.

 

"Quatre-sama," Duo repeated, a little disgustedly.  The other men who lived here had been calling him "Quatre-sama" too, as if he was some kind of lord.  "Even the kids call him that.  What's the deal?"

 

"Quatre-sama is our master!" the little girl said, indignant at his lack of respect.  "He _saved_ us!"

 

Well, that was interesting.  "Really?"

 

"Yes."  The girl began sniffling again.  "But he went to school, so he can't save my dolly."

 

"Your dolly?"

 

The girl burst into renewed tears, which alarmed Duo somewhat.  "Hey!  Calm down, kiddo."

 

"Dawud and Fadi stole my dolly and they won't give her baaaaack!" she wailed.

 

"Sssh, ssh!"  Duo was starting to be afraid that some mother would come storming out any minute, demanding to know what he was doing to make a poor, innocent child cry.  "Okay, look, kid - what's your name, by the way?"

 

"Jamila," she sniffed.  Then, rather self-importantly, she announced, "It means 'beautiful.'"

 

He smiled, relieved that she'd mostly stopped crying again.  "It suits you," he agreed, gently touching a lock of her soft black hair.  "My name is Duo.  It means 'two,'" he added.

 

"Why?  Are there two of you?" she wanted to know.

 

"Well, no...."  He didn't want to talk about this right now.  It touched an old, old hurt that was too near the new.  "Anyway, what do you say you and me go and get your doll back?"

 

Her face lit up immediately.  "Really?  You'll pound Dawud and Fadi to a pulp and rescue Kat?"

 

"Er...we'll see.  Come on."  He grinned and turned around invitingly.  Jamila jumped on a bit too enthusiastically, and Duo grunted as he rose to his feet, carrying the little girl piggy-back.  He navigated his way carefully down the stairs, listening as the little girl chattered happily.

 

The apartment complex was very high quality, with perfect landscaping, flawless buildings designed with good taste, and not a pot-hole or bit of trash to be seen.  _'Quatre and his goons must be rolling,'_ Duo thought, only a little resentfully.  _'Must be nice.'_   Here and there doors were open, so that the sounds of Middle Eastern music and the smells of exotic cooking floated deliciously out into the air.  Duo tried hard to concentrate on all these things, and not the grief-filled darkness that still lurked in the back of his mind.

 

"So where would we find these two delinquents?" he asked his passenger.

 

"They're always messing with their stupid robots back there," she sniffed, pointing.  "What's delquets?"

 

"Delinquents.  It means 'people who steal innocent dolls,'" he joked.

 

"Yes!  Yes!  That's them!" Jamila shouted enthusiastically.

 

"Hey, not so loud, girl!  You're right next to my ear!"

 

Duo turned a corner and found a fairly empty stretch of parking lot.  Against the fence was a sort of shed.  Its wide-open doors revealed a couple of tables and lots of boxes, all strewn with various tools and myriad mechanical bits and pieces.  Duo's interest was caught at once.

 

He approached the two boys who were working there.  Both looked to be a few years younger than him, and were dressed like the rest of the Maganacs.

 

"That's them!" Jamila shrieked indignantly.  "Make them give Kat BACK!"

 

Dawud and Fadi looked up in annoyance at the sound of her voice.

 

"Playing hooky?" Duo asked conversationally.

 

The older boy glared.  "Our lessons are done.  Why don't _you_ go to school if you're so worried about it?"

 

Duo shrugged.  He put Jamila down and said, "Not that I care, but you're never gonna get a Logos 460 to work if you keep using those dinky B-29 fixtures."

 

The boys looked at him in surprise, then down at the machine they were unsuccessfully trying to reactivate.

 

"What would _you_ use?" Fadi asked cautiously.

 

Duo smiled.  "At home we had to make do with B-70s, which stink because they cause a tostering glitch half the time.  But if you have any C-levels somewhere around here, I can show you a trick or two."

 

"My DOLLY!" Jamila was shouting.  "Give her back NOW!"

 

Impatiently, Dawud reached into a box and tossed Jamila her doll, but his attention was all on Duo.  "Really?  Every time we tried C-level, it just sparked and died again."

 

Duo laughed.  "You try adjusting the energy input?"

 

The boys looked at each other.  "Why didn't we think of that?"

 

Ten minutes later Duo was in his element, streaked with grease and screwing in a fixture on one side of the machine as he gave instructions to the boys.  Jamila had wandered over to another table and was using various knobs and wires as playthings for her doll.  It was an enjoyable afternoon for all four of them.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Quatre got home from school that day feeling both excited and apprehensive.  He opened the door to his apartment slowly, peering inside before he stepped in.  "Duo?"

 

There was no one in the front rooms, but he could hear the sound of a video game going in the spare bedroom.  Quatre dropped off his bag and went to investigate.

 

He was quite surprised to find Duo enthusiastically racing with Dawud and Fadi, all occasionally yelling when one of them crashed or missed a turn.  They were also, strangely enough, all wearing little dolls' caps or bits of lace draped over their shoulders.  Jamila had set up a tea party with dolls and stuffed animals nearby, and she alternated between cooing at her toys and going over to put pieces of cake in the distracted boys' mouths.

 

"How come you always WIN?" Fadi shouted in frustration.

 

Duo was laughing.  "'Cause I'm the best, man!"

 

"Another round," Dawud demanded furiously.  "We'll get you this time!  Come on, Fadi, let's gang up on him!"

 

"Duo, drink this tea," Jamila ordered, thrusting a tiny plastic teacup at his face.

 

Quatre stood gaping.  "Wh-What is going on here?" he asked faintly.

 

All four of them turned in surprise at the sound of his voice.

 

"QUATRE-SAMA!" the children shrieked, jumping up in delight.  Quatre smiled as he picked up the little girl and greeted the boys.

 

"Have you been keeping my guest company?"

 

"He rescued Kat and I gave him tea!" Jamila said proudly.

 

"He made the Logos work!" Fadi said excitedly.

 

"Yeah, we were using the wrong fixtures," Dawud added.

 

Quatre looked over to smile at Duo.  The other boy had just noticed that he was adorned with lace, and seemed to be absorbed in picking it off.  His cheeks were a little pink.

 

"That sounds very interesting," Quatre acknowledged.  "I hope you didn't cause any trouble."

 

"Never," Dawud said slyly.

 

"Can we stay for dinner?" Jamila wanted to know.  "Are you gonna make _horesh gameh_?  I want _horesh gameh_ for dinner!"

 

"Come on, Jamila, don't just invite yourself over," Dawud told her disgustedly.

 

"It's all right," Quatre started to say, but just then they could hear raised voices outside, mothers impatiently calling their children home.

 

"Oh man," Dawud exclaimed, wincing.  "I forgot Mother wanted us to run errands.  We gotta go, Fadi!"  The boys hurriedly said good-bye and loped out the door, dragging the protesting Jamila with them.

 

Quatre watched them go with a smile, but then he turned to look at Duo and saw that, now that the children were gone, all the vivacity seemed to drain out of the other boy.  Duo dully turned the game off and wandered out to the balcony, where he slouched in a chair.

 

Deciding to give him some privacy for a while, Quatre went quietly about his business, studying a bit and getting things ready for dinner.  Usually when he was alone he had music playing to make the place feel less lonely, but he was afraid Duo might be bothered by it.  He kept casting glances out the glass door, his heart aching every time he saw that dejected figure staring out into the distance.

 

Duo watched the day slowly draw to a close.  He was facing east, so the sky here grew dark much sooner.  Shortly after twilight had well and truly fallen, he heard the door slide open and the soft footsteps of his host.

 

"I don't know if you're hungry," Quatre said quietly, "but you should eat."  He set a bowl down carefully by Duo's hand, then sat down in the other chair with his own serving.

 

Duo had no appetite whatsoever, but he had learned quite early on to eat whatever he could get his hands on.  He dutifully took up the bowl and spooned some of the rice and meat into his mouth.  It was good, actually, though his heart wasn't in it.  His attention was more on the deepening dark.

 

"I wonder if that's where they are," he said softly.  "In the dark, wandering lost forever.  Or...."  He shivered.  "Or what if they just don't exist anymore?  What if they went from alive to _nothing_?"

 

Quatre knew that Duo had been raised to follow a faith different from his own, but they could agree on this, at least.  "No," he assured the other boy.  "The human soul is eternal.  You know this, if you really question yourself."

 

Duo squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.  "They have to be in heaven.  They were such good people.  They have to be.  I'm the one who belongs in hell."

 

Quatre's heart ached.  He reached over to touch Duo's hand.  "Do you think that Father Maxwell or Sister Helen believed that?" he asked softly.

 

A hysterical laugh burst from Duo's throat.  "No," he said wildly.  "They didn't.  They loved me.  After all the horrible things I did, those stupid, stupid idiots wouldn't stop loving me."  The tears were very close then, but he pulled up his knees and buried his face in them, and kept swallowing until the tightness in his eyes and throat faded again.

 

"So, how was school?" he finally managed to say.  Not that he cared, but he couldn't stand talking about this any longer.

 

"Oh."  Quatre straightened as he remembered what Trowa had told him earlier.  "They said...they said it was White Fang, who attacked the church."

 

Duo's head snapped up, and he stared at Quatre in disbelief.  "What?"

 

"White Fang," Quatre repeated, almost apologetically.  "That rebel group Trowa told us about.  He said that if we'd changed our minds about working to stop them, that we should meet him and Hiiro at school late tonight."

 

Duo's fists were curled tightly, nails biting into his palms.  "That psycho thing he was talking about...it's _connected_?"

 

"Apparently so.  If it's true, Duo...."  Quatre's eyes were wide.  He was thinking of the Maganacs, the school, the city, all those people in danger.  He and Duo and Wufei somehow had the power to protect them, and Quatre already knew his choice.  "I'm going.  Will you come?"

 

There was nothing demanding in his tone, no hint of pressure at all.  However, it didn't matter.  Nothing could have _stopped_ Duo Maxwell from avenging the destruction of the only family and home he had ever known.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The boys were sent on an information-retrieval mission after school, and did not return to the Otherside base until about 21:00 hours.  Trowa was about to decide whether to seize an hour of sleep or get in some more training, when he noticed that Hiiro had immediately headed for the weapons wall.

 

"You have another mission?" Trowa asked incredulously.

 

"Unassigned," Hiiro grunted.  "Something I have to take care of."  He tried to quell the image of soft hair and clear blue eyes.  It did not help at all, considering what he had to do.

 

"How long is this going to take?" Trowa asked doubtfully.  "We should leave fairly soon."

 

Hiiro paused.  "What?"

 

"The new recruits," Trowa reminded him.  "We're supposed to meet them tonight and escort them to Alliance headquarters."

 

Hiiro said nothing, his body rigid.  The checkpoint technician was looking a little too interested in their conversation.

 

"Were you not told?" Trowa asked softly, offering the other boy a way out.

 

Hiiro relaxed just a little.  "No, I was not told," he said strongly, replacing the weapons on the wall.  "Personal mission will be postponed."

 

Trowa nodded.  He himself had told Hiiro of the plan earlier, at school, but he said nothing.

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  _Horesh gameh_ is actually Persian rather than Arab, and goodness knows if I've spelled it right.


	4. Act 4 - Preparing

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 4 - Preparing**

 

Wufei was too impatient to wait for 11:00.  It didn't matter, however, since Hiiro and Trowa were already there, waiting in the shadows of the gym.  The boys had nothing to say to each other.  After a few minutes, Wufei couldn't stand the silence and went into a practice routine.  The other two remained still and watchful, alert to every movement and whisper of sound in the dark.

 

Eventually, there was a screeching of tires from somewhere in the back parking lot.  Shortly after that, two young voices came floating through the air, louder and more distinguishable as the speakers approached.

"I thought you said you could drive!"

 

"I _can_ drive.  I got us here, didn't I?"

 

"Yes, you got us here, and just barely in one piece!  Ahmad's going to notice every dent, you know."

 

"Oh yeah, well, why don't you drive next time, _Quatre-sama_!"

 

"Shut up," Hiiro hissed.  "There could be spies."

 

Duo and Quatre stopped arguing at once.  "Spies?" Duo ventured in a whisper.  "Interested in a prep school?"

 

"They might have tracked us already," Trowa told him.  "White Fang's not the only enemy, you know."

 

Before anyone could reply, Hiiro rose from his watchful crouch and muttered, "Let's get going."

 

"We're going somewhere else?" Quatre asked in surprise.

 

"This was just an easy meeting place," Trowa started to say, then broke off.  All five boys stared at the striking figure that had appeared before them, with clouds of pale hair that glinted in the moonlight.

 

"You were supposed to wait in the car," Hiiro grumbled.

 

The figure clasped its hands and said in something like a loud coo, "Forgive me, Hiiro-sama!  I simply couldn't resist coming to get a first glimpse of these three shining new warriors!"

 

"Who is this chick?" Duo wanted to know.

 

A harsh bell of laughter drowned any response that Hiiro or Trowa might have made.  "Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Maxwell!  I am Dorothy Catalonia, a humble servant of our great leader, Treize Khushrenada.  I have been allowed the honor of transporting Hiiro-sama, Trowa-sama, and the three of you to and from this charming rendezvous."

 

"She insisted," Hiiro said shortly, and stalked away to the waiting yellow limo.

 

"Do you know all our names already, Miss Catalonia?" Quatre asked as the rest of them began to follow.

 

"No need to be formal.  She's the same age as us," Trowa muttered.

 

"Of course I know your names, Mr. Winner," Dorothy gushed.

 

"How come Hiiro and Trowa get to be called '-sama,' and we're stuck with 'Mr.'?" Duo complained.

 

Dorothy giggled.  "Why, because you will have to earn such respect on the battlefield, of course.  I have no use for men who cannot fight."

 

Duo and Quatre exchanged eloquent glances.  Wufei simply watched these exchanges, and learned.

 

Hiiro had already climbed into the back of the car when they reached it.  Dorothy deferentially held the door open for Trowa, Duo, and Wufei to get in, but Quatre hesitated.  "I feel uncomfortable letting a woman hold my door," he said uneasily.

 

Dorothy's face lit up.  "Well then, Sir Quatre, you shall hold the door for me instead."  She made her way around the car and waited for Quatre to open the driver's side door and hand her in.  Then she gunned the engine so heartily that Quatre fairly scrambled to get into the passenger seat before she peeled away.

 

"So, where are we going?" Duo asked when they were on the road.

 

"Alliance headquarters," Trowa answered.  "Treize wishes to meet you, and then you will be officially tested and outfitted with your new MS."

 

"MS?" Wufei repeated.

 

"Mobile suits," Hiiro clarified, though it made no more sense to the boys than before.

 

Trowa smiled a little.  "Don't ask.  You won't believe it until you see it."

 

"Glorious machines they are," Dorothy supplied.  "The ones _you_ will be using are special - the first ever to have one of the primary systems adapted with human DNA.  The pilot's DNA, to be specific.  It sometimes makes for some...unexpected but very interesting results."  With a sly glance at Hiiro and Trowa in the back seat, she added, "Don't be surprised to find yourself talking to your suit as if it was alive."

 

"You have no authorization to discuss this," Hiiro said abruptly, and Trowa's expression was tense.

 

"Yes, well," Dorothy said.  "Just be sure you know your minds well before you commit.  If your resolve should waver or you prove to be cowards, you will render those splendid, noble machines completely useless."

 

"Who're you callin' cowards?" Duo demanded, and Wufei's eyes blazed.

 

Dorothy giggled again.  "It was only a friendly warning."

 

"The Gundams aren't useless without their pilots," Trowa said in a low voice.  "They can be reconfigured."

 

Dorothy sniffed.  "And what warrior with any sense of honor would fight in a secondhand suit?"

 

Trowa said nothing.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Dorothy finally pulled up to a brightly-lit store bearing the sign:  _"OZ 24-hour Computer Repair."_

 

"That's just a cover," Dorothy explained as she waited for Quatre to come around again and let her out.  "This is really our primary Otherside base."

 

"You're too chatty," Trowa warned her.  "You came on this trip as a chauffeur only."

 

"Forgive me, Trowa-sama!" she gushed, not sounding sorry at all.  "My lips will be sealed."

 

There was only one man on duty at the front desk.  He snapped to attention when Dorothy and the boys entered, nervously sweeping a half-eaten slice of pizza into a nearby wastebasket.

 

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Hiiro growled.  "You compromise our cover by saluting us in this area."

 

"Your position will be revoked if you do so in the sight of anyone from Otherside," Trowa added warningly.

 

"Y-Yes, sirs," the man wavered, his eyes sliding hopelessly over to the curious Duo, Quatre, and Wufei.  "I will report to be discharged at once, sir!"

 

"They're not from Otherside, relax," Trowa sighed.

 

"Get the Elevator online," Hiiro ordered.

 

"What's with all this 'Otherside' stuff?" Duo asked.

 

Hiiro and Trowa locked eyes for a moment.  "That's something the scientists will tell you," Hiiro finally said.

 

"Sir," the lackey ventured, "who will be traveling in the Elevator?"

 

Hiiro glared, annoyed by the man's apparent incompetence.  "All of us.  Is it ready?"

 

"Ah...sir, only yourself, Agent 03, and Lady Catalonia are authorized to use the Elevator."

 

Dorothy swept forward and struck the man across the face.  "What kind of soldier are you?" she shouted.  "These orders come from Treize-sama himself!  Get the Elevator online NOW!"

 

"Y-Yes, ma'am," the man squeaked, and rushed to obey.

 

It was a somewhat odd elevator that they all stepped into.  It had too many weird buttons, for one thing.  And when it began to move, the rush of nausea felt stronger and somehow different than usual, though not even Hiiro or Trowa could have found the right words to describe it.

 

However, it was over quickly, and the doors whooshed open to reveal two lines of people in uniform.  They all stood to strict attention, forming a sort of column from the elevator to where two important-looking figures waited at the end.

 

"An official greeting," Trowa murmured, slightly amused.

 

Dorothy straightened Quatre's collar and brushed at Duo's not-too-clean shirt.  "Look sharp, gentlemen, this is all on your account," she stage-whispered.

 

Hiiro and Trowa proceeded first, not batting an eyelid as each pair of officers they passed snapped a salute.  Duo and Quatre followed, wide-eyed.  Wufei, looking inscrutable, came just behind, and Dorothy brought up the rear.

 

When they reached the end, Hiiro and Trowa performed their own salutes to the polished man who awaited them.  His fine European-styled clothes and sweeping cloak put one more in mind of a nobleman than the leader of some kind of armed peace organization.  The woman at his side was also striking, but in a different way.  Her uniform was a graceful blend of refinement and military, her no-doubt long and luscious chestnut hair was tightly bound up, and her face wore a severe expression.

 

Hiiro introduced them brusquely.  "Presenting recruits Duo Maxwell, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei to Treize Khushrenada and Colonel Lady Une of the United Earth Sphere Alliance."

 

"Hi," Duo said.  Quatre bowed politely.

 

Colonel Une was surveying them with almost the same dispassionate coldness Wufei was using on her and Treize.  "A street urchin, a sheltered soft-heart, and a brat who is adverse to taking orders," was her cutting conclusion.  "Nice work."

 

Treize smiled.  "Lady, I'm sure that our Hiiro and Trowa would also deceive on first impression, particularly if they had spent the last fourteen years Otherside."

 

Turning back to the boys, he surveyed them leisurely for several moments before saying with what appeared to be sincere warmth, "Welcome home."  Those words sent a strange feeling through the boys, who all felt, for one reason or another, that home was very far away.

 

"I am absolutely delighted at your return.  As you have been told, you are very valuable products of OZ, and we are in great need of the unique skills and talents each one of you possesses.  Now that the five of you are once again together, we in the Alliance greatly anticipate a brighter future, in which our hopes for peace will finally be realized."

 

As he continued to speak, Trowa discreetly shifted closer to Hiiro.  Turning his face away from the others and pitching his voice so low that only Hiiro's enhanced sense of hearing could catch the sound, Trowa asked, _"I heard that the original number was five, but wasn't model 04 scrapped almost at the beginning?"_

 

Hiiro answered in the same manner.  _"That is what we were told."_

 

The implication was clear, and Trowa nodded in satisfaction.

 

After his brief speech, Treize dismissed the assembled soldiers and handed the boys off to Colonel Une, then left.  "We will begin your re-integration at once," Colonel Une said crisply.  "After a physical examination, you will be put through battle simulations, and only after your fitness has been determined will you be introduced and synched to your MS."

 

"All this in one night?" Quatre said in dismay.

 

"If necessary," Colonel Une said coldly.  The glares from her and Hiiro, and the warning look from Trowa, made Quatre know better than to keep protesting.  Duo now wished he had been able to take a nap earlier when Quatre did.

 

Wufei correctly guessed that Hiiro and Trowa must be accustomed to only a few hours of sleep a night.  "Not optimal," he said out loud.  "Especially for our current developmental stage.  But do what you will.  I am here for one reason only."

 

"Mr. Chang," Colonel Une said icily.  "I suggest you adopt an attitude of complete cooperation as quickly as possible.  The Alliance is not in the habit of letting failed experiments roam at will."

 

"Experiments," Quatre echoed.  All three suddenly gained an unpleasant depth of understanding.

 

"Do we get to change our minds about this?" Duo muttered, but very quietly.

 

At that moment, another woman in uniform came stepping up.  "You called for me, Une?" she asked.

 

"Major Po, examine these new recruits and then send them to the training center.  01, 03, come with me."

 

Sally Po looked the boys up and down as the other three left.  "Oh good, fresh meat," she said brightly.  "Follow me to the infirmary, please, and we'll get to work."

 

"The infirmary?" Duo asked in alarm as she started walking.

 

Sally laughed.  "It's where my offices are.  I'm the Alliance's head of medical staff.  I'll be performing the examinations myself, since you three are such valuable property."

 

"About that," Quatre said anxiously.  "Are we really only like...like machines to them?  I thought...."

 

Sally smiled reassuringly at him.  "It depends on who you ask.  Those nuts over in OZ would love to have you under a microscope, but even so, don't underestimate them.  To Lady Une, you're a bunch of disappointing newbies she has very little time to whip into shape.  To Dorothy, you are both glorious heroes and her personal gladiators; to the Alliance's lackeys, you're practically gods; and to the few sane ones like me left around, you're just a handful of boys brilliantly handling a situation you should never have had to deal with."  She grinned.  "And who knows what Treize thinks."

 

"That Dorothy chick freaks me out," Duo remarked.

 

"Yes," Quatre agreed.  "There is something a bit odd about her."

 

"Dorothy is...complicated," Sally explained sympathetically.  "She's a very romantic girl, but I think something must have wounded her badly in the past.  Frankly, only Treize knows how to handle her."

 

They had reached the infirmary by then.  Sally led them to a free examining room and continued talking as she made preparations.  "All right, so who's going first?"

 

"I am," Wufei said at once.  "I wish to get to work as quickly as possible."

 

"All right then," Sally agreed.  "You know the drill, or will soon.  Strip."

 

There was a startled pause.  "I will not unclothe myself in front of a woman," Wufei choked.

 

"I pity your future wife," Sally laughed.  "All right, then let's start with something nice and chaste."  She reached out for his hands, clicking her tongue as she inspected them.  "Now what happened here?" she murmured, taking in all the cuts and scratches Wufei had acquired the night before, tearing up his hands in that frantic search for Meilan.

 

It was suddenly deathly quiet.  Sally looked up to find Wufei's face tight with pain, and the other two with very revealing expressions.

 

"Not for me to know," Sally said softly.  "I'm getting very used to that."  She bent her head over her work and hummed as she carefully extracted splinters, trimmed away dead skin, and sealed over the cuts that were still open.  Wufei was surprised to recognize the lilting tune of a Chinese lullaby he had been familiar with since infancy.  He opened his mouth to ask, then shut it again.  There was no sense in getting to know this woman on anything past a professional level.

 

Sally was quick, and soon she laid aside her instruments and carefully bagged up the bits of skin and nail that had dropped to the tray beneath Wufei's hands.

 

"Why are you saving those?" he asked suspiciously.

 

"Mementos."  She burst into laughter at his revolted expression.  "No, really, they're DNA samples.  I figured I'd collect some, since I'm in a good position to do so."

 

"For the MS?" Wufei asked hesitantly.  When she nodded, he slowly drew out Meilan's locket and opened it to reveal the two locks of black hair.  He worked a single strand out of one of the bundles and offered it to Sally.  "Please use this instead," he said stiffly.

 

Sally's eyes were shrewd as she looked from the locket to the boy's face.  "Wufei," she said carefully.  "The Gundams are meant to perform in perfect harmony with their pilots, which is why the DNA system was designed in the first place."

 

"Yes," Wufei said firmly.  "This MS, this 'Gundam' I will fight with, must have the spirit of a great warrior if it is to understand me."

 

Realizing that Wufei understood what he was doing and that his decision was immutable, Sally nodded and took the strand of hair with no further argument.  Then she drew over a small bowl of clear liquid.  "Dunk your hands in this while I see to the others," she told him.

 

Wufei obeyed.  His eyes opened very wide, but he said nothing and did not move.  Sally laughed at his expression.  "It stings, I know, but you can handle it."  She turned expectantly to the others.

 

"Me next, I guess," Duo said.  He pulled off his shirt a little self-consciously, and was glad when she said, "That's fine for now, I was teasing earlier."  She shook her head as she was undoing the bandage on his arm.  "You boys seem to already have seen some action.  I'm afraid this wound might be a problem later, when you're synched to--  Good grief, what could have done _this_?" she exclaimed when she saw the injury.

 

"Huh?  Oh...a key," Duo mumbled.

 

Sally looked dumbfounded.  "A _key_?  That can't be, plastic couldn't do this kind of damage, and any other mechanism is too small - oh."  She laughed again.  "You mean an Otherside key.  Got it."

 

"Otherside again," Quatre commented.

 

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Duo demanded.  "Everyone keeps talking about 'Otherside,' but they won't tell us what it is."

 

"You don't know?" Sally said in surprise.  Her fingers stilled as she took in their expectant looks.  "That's...strange.  I shouldn't be the first one to tell you," she said uneasily.

 

"That elevator," Wufei suddenly said.  "It doesn't go up and down, does it."

 

Sally smiled.  "No.  It doesn't.  And that's all you're getting from me."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Once Sally finished patching them up, she administered a few tests.  Pronouncing that they were indeed physically super-human ("What with today's medical technology and your accelerated healing, you should be back to peak condition in no time"), she dropped them off at the training center before going back to work.  The boys were met by an array of five strange little men.

 

"Well, if it isn't our runaways," the one in front cackled, ominously clacking together the "fingers" of a robotic arm.  Apparently looks didn't mean much to him; there had been no attempt to clothe the artificial limb with material imitating human flesh.

 

"About time," said the one on his right, who had an outrageously thick mane of gray hair as well as a long nose and moustache.

 

"And I thought Hiiro and Trowa were the freaks," Duo commented.

 

The men burst into a chorus of mirthless laughter.

 

"Better watch that tongue, boy," rumbled the tall bald one.  "You'll be taking orders from us."

 

The little Asian-looking one nodded.  "That's right.  01, whom you know by the code name Hiiro Yui, answers to Dr. J here."

 

Duo, Quatre, and Wufei looked at Hiiro in surprise.  "You got a _code_ name, man?" Duo said in disbelief.  "What's your real name?"

 

Hiiro only glared, and Trowa murmured, "Personal names are not required by soldiers."  Which brought a return of that unpleasant feeling the three new boys had experienced earlier.

 

The spiky-headed man with a strange covering on his nose continued.  "I am Doktor S, in charge of 03.  Henceforth, you, Duo Maxwell, will be known as Agent 02, in the charge of Professor G.  Chang Wufei, as Agent 05 you are charged to Master O."

 

There was a momentary pause as everyone looked at Quatre, who squirmed a little.  The unnamed scientist smiled.  "And as for our long-lost 04, you will be working with me, Instructor H."

 

"Now then," Dr. J took over, getting down to business.  "Let's get you acquainted with the simulators."

 

Duo, Quatre, and Wufei were hooked up to three devices that almost resembled the kind of machines found in an arcade.  There were several monitors and control panels, some obviously meant for the subject and some for observers.  On the boys' heads were placed virtual reality helmets that covered their eyes.  Duo was delighted, it was better than a video game.

 

"Let's start you off with something easy," Instructor H suggested.  "Space mines.  Destroy them before they impact your virtual MS and cause damage."

 

An hour or two later, Treize came in to see how the new recruits were doing.  By this time, Hiiro and Trowa were plugged in as well, since they presented a tougher challenge than any computer.

 

Professor G turned to him with a wolfish grin.  "They're brilliant, Treize."

 

"I assume you gentlemen are enjoying yourselves?" Treize chuckled.

 

"They are all we hoped for," Dr. J told him gleefully.  "They are equal to 01 and 03 in raw skill.  Even better, each one displays the specializations that were bred into them at conception.

 

"02's stealth fighting and code breaking skills surpass even those of 01 and 03.  05 has an exceptional sense for identifying the enemy leader, even if it's using a decoy or buried in a mass army; and he attacks with complete focus and efficient use of power.  He also, like 01, not only thinks the unthinkable, but is willing to carry out such plans in order to fulfill mission objectives."

 

"As expected," Doktor S continued, "02 and 04 work best as team members, whereas the other three are most effective when acting independently.  02 is also, conveniently, quite competent on his own."

 

"And what of 04's specializations?" Treize asked knowingly.

 

The others looked at Instructor H, who shrugged.  "In terms of intelligence, he scores the highest of the five, and is by far the best strategist.  However, the factors that led to his assumed discard are still intact."

 

"Hesitation to eliminate the enemy when personal elements are introduced," Master O stated.

 

"And your controversial _uchuu no kokoro_?" Treize questioned.

 

"We've been saving that for last," Dr. J said.  "You came just in time to witness it."  He nodded to Professor G, who turned to the input control panel for Hiiro's simulator.

 

Hiiro was in deep concentration when an image suddenly appeared across his screen - the face of that Otherside girl, Relena Darlian.  A faint shudder passed through him, but he pushed through the turmoil and kept his focus on the mission.

 

However, as he had half-expected, there was more.  The distant sight of a man and a woman in an open car, who were not targets but had died anyway; and then an all-too-fresh picture of that recent mission he had botched so badly....

_'They're playing with your mind,'_ he told himself fiercely.  _'Don't let them.'_

 

At the same time, Quatre was startled by a sudden wave of shock.  _'What?'_ he thought dizzily.  Then the realization, _'These feelings aren't mine.'_   It didn't matter, however, since he was affected all the same by the sudden wash of guilt, frustration, shame, anger, pain.  Quatre couldn't take it.  Not noticing that his virtual self had just been blown up, he flung off the suffocating helmet and screamed, "Don't make me kill anymore!"

 

There was silence.  Breathing heavily, Quatre realized that everyone was staring at him, but he didn't care.  His eyes locked with Hiiro's.  Treize was interested to see that the face of the "Perfect Soldier" had gone white.

 

Duo cleared his throat and looked away first.  He knew what it was like to have your private feelings suddenly exposed by someone who should not have known them.

 

"You can see why 04 was discarded," Doktor S murmured to Treize.  "It's difficult for a soldier to kill an enemy when he has the potential to sense the other's fear, anger, or pain."

 

"And yet this unique ability might prove useful to us," Treize answered softly.  "No sense in getting rid of him at this late stage."  Raising his voice so that the others could hear him, he said smoothly, "Well, it looks like we've all had enough for one night.  You boys go ahead and get some sleep."

 

Hiiro and Quatre were preoccupied, and Duo and Wufei had not yet learned to properly utilize their exceptional senses of hearing.  Trowa, however, was paying close attention to the whispered discussion between Treize and the scientists.  He took note of the interesting fact that apparently, 04's continued existence was a puzzle to them as well.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Without any of them having to ask, Wufei was assigned a single-bunk room, while Duo and Quatre ended up rooming together.

 

"What a night," Duo moaned, falling gratefully onto a bunk.  Then he made a face and shifted around in exaggerated discomfort.  "These beds are the size of toothpicks.  I should put some pillows on the floor, for when I roll over in my sleep."

 

"Yeah," Quatre said wanly.

 

Duo sat up and peered at him.  "You okay, man?"

 

Quatre hesitated.  "There's something...not right about all this," he finally said.  "To look at him, Hiiro seems completely confident and controlled.  But he hides so much pain inside...the same as you," he said thoughtfully.  "Trowa, too, is unhappy; you can see it in the emptiness of his eyes.  And the way we're treated here...."

 

Duo punched his pillow.  "Like robots, or guard dogs," he agreed.  "It's like we're not even people."

 

"We need to find out more about this secret war of theirs," Quatre said firmly.  "We need to find out if it's worth it."

 

Duo's face turned cloudy.  "Speak for yourself, Quatre-sama.  If it means getting my hands on the people who killed my family, I'll be anyone's robot."

 

"Duo," Quatre said softly, but Duo quickly changed the subject.  "What's up with 'Quatre-sama,' anyway?  The kids said you _saved_ all those big goons.  Hard to see them needing help from anyone."

 

Quatre laughed self-consciously.  "Oh.  That.  Um...I still don't quite understand everything that happened that day.  It's just that I saw a man lurking around the apartments who was dressed like a Maganac, but I didn't recognize him, so I told Rashid.  I remember he got really alarmed, and he and the others tracked down the man immediately.  There was a confrontation, and he threw something at Rashid.  I ran to catch it, because I thought it might be a bomb--"

 

"A _bomb_?" Duo said in disbelief.  "Are you an _idiot_?"

 

"I wasn't exactly thinking clearly," Quatre defended.  "But wouldn't _you_ try to do something if you thought your family was about to be--"  He stopped.

 

"Whatever," Duo muttered.  "Go on."

 

"Yes, well, the thing didn't look like I expected, and it didn't blow up, but I lobbed it as far as I could anyway.  Then the man got mad and shot me."

 

Duo stared at him.  "Geez.  I thought _I_ was the street-smart tough guy, and here you are getting shot before I do."

 

Quatre smiled, a little embarrassed.  "I assume I survived because of that 'accelerated healing' thing.  In any case, I don't remember what happened after that."

 

"What happened to the dude?" Duo asked curiously.

 

"Oh."  Quatre looked a little troubled.  "I never saw him again.  Rashid wouldn't talk about it when I asked."  After a minute, Quatre remarked thoughtfully, "But you know, Rashid and a few of the others were calling me '-sama' even before that.  I wonder why."

 

"And of course you never thought to ask," Duo said, shaking his head.  "What a doofus."

 

Quatre only laughed.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Trowa, exhausted, paused on the way to bed when he saw Hiiro marching in the wrong direction.  "Where are you going?" he called.

 

"Personal mission," Hiiro grunted without stopping.

 

Trowa hesitated, then sighed and went to follow him.  "What kind of mission?"

 

"Elimination of Otherside subject with unauthorized information."

 

Trowa frowned.  "Who found out about us?"

 

"Female student at Peacecraft Academy.  Relena Darlian."

 

Trowa came to an abrupt halt, his heart suddenly pounding and his eyes wide with shock.  He watched the other boy walk out of sight, then yanked out a communicator and frantically stabbed at the buttons.  "Mother!"

_"What is it?"_ a sleepy voice complained.

 

"He's going to kill Relena!"

_"What?"_

 

"Hiiro is on his way right now to kill Relena Darlian!"

 

There was a pause, then a burst of laughter.  _"Well, isn't that interesting."_

 

"Why are you laughing?" Trowa said angrily.  "It's your life that's at stake just as much as mine."

_"Barton, you should know as well as anyone that the very fact you are speaking to me now proves that he will not carry it out."_

 

She was right.  "Fine.  So how do I stop him?"

_"No need.  Just stall him for a day or two, and I'll take care of the rest."_

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  It always puzzled me how the Gundams sometimes seem to make their own decisions.  The DNA thing is my attempt at an explanation.  More on this later.

 

 _Uchuu no kokoro_ literally means "heart of outer space."  Simplified, "Spaceheart."  It's the term Quatre uses for his never-adequately-explained yellow glowy sensing power.  Even less adequately explained is the fact that apparently Hiiro possesses the "true" heart of outer space.  I don't think that comes into this fic, though.

 

While writing this, I had to keep reminding myself that Sally has a deep respect for the Gundam pilots.  Otherwise I would have let her get a little OOC with the flirty teasing.  Come to think of it, I might have let that happen to Meilan.


	5. Act 5 - Shooting

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 5 - Shooting**

 

Relena took extra care when she dressed for school the next day.  She wanted every article of clothing to be as neat and clean as possible, in honor of the students who had died in the Maxwell Church Tragedy.  After carefully pinning on the school crest, she checked herself in the mirror one last time before heading down for breakfast.

 

Her father was waiting for her.  Putting down his newspaper upon her entrance, he smiled and pulled out a chair for her before sitting back down to his eggs and coffee.

 

"I'm so glad you're coming to the memorial assembly today, Father," Relena told him.

 

"Yes," he said sadly.  "Many people unrelated to the school are coming as well.  Most probably hadn't even heard of Maxwell Church before it was destroyed, but it is a tragedy for the whole city that an institution like that suffered such violence."

 

"Will they mind you taking off work, Father?" Relena asked curiously.

 

"Of course they will," he chuckled.  Then he shook his head and added, "They've come to rely on me too much."

 

Later, as the two of them sat together in the car on the way to school, Mr. Darlian sighed before pulling out an envelope.  "Relena," he said gently, "this is for you."

 

"A letter?" she said in confusion.

 

"Yes.  Don't read it now.  Read it...later."  He paused.  "After I'm gone."

 

"Back to work?" she assumed, placing it carefully in her pocket.  His only answer was a smile.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

There was a solemn, uneasy atmosphere at the school that morning.  A plaque had been placed in the courtyard beneath a newly-planted tree, with a little lake of flowers spread on the ground below it and the flags flying half-mast.  Instead of the students heading to their first classes, they were assembled together to hear "a few words" from the school principal, some of the faculty, and various important city figures.

 

"Today is a sad day indeed," the first speaker began.  "Winner Academy welcomes our guests.  Our purpose here in gathering together is to give honor to those who have recently lost their lives...."

 

Some of the students were crying, while others grew bored after a while and began to fidget.  Relena was one of those who remained at attention, though only half the time she focused on what was being said.  The rest of the time she found herself searching in vain for Hiiro, or the Maxwell boy who must be suffering right now, or that Chinese boy whose girlfriend they were saying had also been killed in the attack.  She thought it was sad that they were missing.

 

Her eyes suddenly filled with tears, and she gripped her father's hand.  He smiled back reassuringly.  "Be strong, Relena."  She thought he was referring to her feelings about the Tragedy.

 

There was a sudden disturbance at the front of the crowd.  Relena watched in astonishment as four men in Middle Eastern clothing shoved their way in.

 

"They have guns!" someone screamed, and the place erupted into pandemonium.

 

"Relena, run!" Mr. Darlian said urgently in her ear.

 

"Father," Relena cried, letting herself be dragged along, "what are they doing?!"

 

"They're here to kill you, Relena, do you understand?  You must _run_ , run for your life, even if something happens to me!"

 

"What...?"  Relena couldn't take it all in; her father's terrifying words, the sudden chilling remembrance of Hiiro's death threat--  There was a spatter of gunfire, and a renewed outburst of screams from the crowd.  Relena heard her father gasp, but he pushed on a few more feet, until they rounded a corner.  Then he collapsed.  "Father!" Relena cried, flinging herself beside him.

 

Mr. Darlian, leaking blood from his back, opened his mouth to say, _"Run."_   What came out instead was, "I love you."

 

Relena, cradling his face with one hand and grasping his hand with the other, felt like she could _see_ the life leaving him, expelled with his last breath.  "FATHER!" she screamed.  "NOOOO!"

 

Rough hands jerked at her, and Relena turned like a wildcat, fighting for her life.  "No!" she shrieked, "Don't touch me!  Murderer!"

 

"Are you crazy?" he hissed.  "Get moving _now_."

 

Relena couldn't move at the sight of Hiiro.  Her body was paralyzed with fear - _"He's come to kill me, he's come--"_ but when his arms grasped her, it was only to take her with him as he ran, faster than Relena thought any human _could_ run.

 

"Hiiro," she gasped, "stop, we have to go back, my father--!"

 

"He's dead," Hiiro said shortly.

 

"No!  NO!"  Relena struggled wildly to break away.  She couldn't leave her father lying there bleeding, she had to get help....

 

Hissing in irritation, Hiiro pushed a drugged patch onto her arm, then shifted his grip and kept running as she went limp in his arms.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"What do you mean we can't go home?" Duo demanded.

 

"The Maganacs will be worried sick about me," Quatre said in distress.

 

"I will not cooperate at all until I have contacted my grandmother," Wufei stated firmly.

 

Colonel Une, facing the boys ranged before her, looked like she was about to explode.  "Apparently you do not understand the situation," she growled.  "You belong to the Alliance now.  You have no family, no past; you are to follow orders and perform the functions you were made for--"

 

"Lady."  Treize had entered the room, and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.  "You can't expect them to immediately cut all ties with--"  He caught himself from saying _Otherside_ just in time.  "...With where they came from.  Send Trowa down with a commlink so their families will know they are all right."

 

"Y-Yes, Treize-sama."

 

Duo smirked.

 

Trowa had no sooner left the room when Hiiro came in, carrying an unconscious body that the three other boys were astonished to recognize.  "Hiiro, what happened?" Quatre asked in alarm.

 

"What'd you _do_ to her?" Duo asked curiously.

 

Ignoring them, Hiiro presented himself to Treize.  "As ordered, I have thwarted the assassination attempt of Relena Darlian," he announced.  "Note that the subject's father is confirmed dead."

 

Everyone stared at him.

 

"I...see," Treize said after a moment.  Since he was quite accustomed to always acting confident and in control, all he said was, "Well done.  Please take her down to the infirmary."

 

Hiiro freed one hand to salute, then turned to leave.  Treize made a mental note to have this Relena Darlian researched, and to find out who had given 01 such an order.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It was an easy matter to let Mistress Long know that her grandson was well and might not be home for awhile.  Convincing the Maganacs was a different matter.

 

"Rashid, I really am fine," Quatre insisted.

_"Yes, but where_ are _you?"_ the burly captain demanded.

 

"I...I can't tell you now, but...Rashid, please, this is really important."

_"Then let us help you, Quatre-sama."_

 

Quatre looked so guilty that the others could tell he was about to cave any second.  Just as he was opening his mouth to speak again, a woman brushed him aside so she could see into the commscreen.

 

"Sir," she said in a soft, sweet voice, "my name is Lady Une.  I'm afraid that we are in desperate need of help, and I beg of you to release this young man temporarily into our service.  You see," she continued earnestly, "only a mere handful of people have the special abilities needed to aid us, and losing Quatre Raberba Winner would be a grave loss.  Please, won't you put your trust in him?  For the sake of innocent lives, and for peace."

 

Rashid regarded her a moment, noticing that she had not specified in what exact way his beloved master's help was needed.  Then he said, "Quatre-sama."

 

"I'm still here," the boy said quickly.

 

"Are you doing this willingly?  They haven't coerced you in any way?"

 

"Not at all," Quatre assured him.  "I _want_ to do this, really.  I'll come back soon, I promise."

 

"You had better," Rashid said darkly, "or believe me, we will come for you ourselves."

 

The transmission was cut, and Lady Une carefully slipped her glasses back on.  She turned to find Duo, Quatre, and Wufei staring at her in varying degrees of amazement.

 

"What are you gawking at?" she bellowed.  "We've got work to do!"

 

"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Duo muttered.

 

When she turned her back to march ahead of their little party, he made the _"She's crazy!"_ gesture, and Quatre giggled.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"The MS you are going to be using are highly specialized machines," Colonel Une lectured as they made their way through a room so huge they couldn't see the end of it.  Apparently it was a storage space for mobile suits.  Duo's and Quatre's mouths were open as they stared up at the towering human-shaped weapons, and even Wufei's eyes were bright with interest.

 

"You will train briefly with each type of MS, so that you will know how to handle them in case your own suits are unavailable to you for some reason.  The most commonly used MS is the Leo, which you see here on our right.  There are several different models, primarily the one suited for ground battles and the one designed for warfare in outer space."

 

"We get to fight in _space_?" Duo burst out.  "Cool!"

 

"Your technology must be amazingly advanced," Wufei remarked shrewdly.

 

Colonel Une gave him a sly smile.  "You have no idea."

 

The tour went on, as Colonel Une briefly pointed out the Cancer and Pisces, meant for use underwater; the sleek Tauruses, designed for space; and the very recent Virgos, superior to the Leos but not yet at the stage of mass production.

 

"Do our MS have zodiac names, too?" Quatre asked.

 

Colonel Une answered, "They are called Gundams, because of the alloy they have been built from.  Gundanium can only be produced in outer space, and its development has only been recent.  So far we have kept secret the fact that we are using it to construct special MS."

 

"So when do we actually get to see these Gundams of yours?" Wufei asked impatiently.

 

She looked at him and once more offered that unsettling grin.  "Now," she answered.

 

They reached a pair of giant metal doors, guarded by grim-faced men who silently saluted Colonel Une.  She stepped up to a control panel, input a code, and pressed her hand to the fingerprint reader.  The doors slowly began to grind open.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Professor G came into the Elevator's control room, looking for his partner.  "J.  Une is introducing the new Gundam pilots to the MS.  We need to go observe their initial meeting."

 

Dr. J beckoned absent-mindedly.  "Come take a look at this, G."

 

The professor stepped over to the monitor Dr. J was looking at, which displayed a record of recent Elevator use.

 

Dr. J tapped the screen.  "This reading here, these four individuals.  Doesn't it look tampered with to you?"

 

Professor G sniffed.  "Of course it does.  What a shoddy cover-up, she always did let her emotions cloud her talent.  She should have had 03 do it."

 

Dr. J grinned when he saw that his partner had caught on immediately.  "That might have blown his cover, which is more important than hers.  In any case, we can't expose her yet," he commented as he altered the record more effectively.  "It would force her hand, and unfortunately, we still need Treize Khushrenada at full capacity."

 

_To be continued...._


	6. Act 6 - Meeting

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 6 - Meeting**

 

_"Your great plan to save Relena's life was to send assassins after her?"_

_"I needed an excuse for Hiiro to rescue her.  He would have been suspicious if I had simply cancelled his personal mission."_

_"Not if you had just revealed her real name - the rest was unnecessary.  This isn't a matchmaking session, Mother."_

_"Oh Trowa, you act as if you don't trust Hiiro to carry out a simple mission."_

_"Of course I trust Hiiro's abilities.  But he's been known to fail before."_

_"That was when he was five, and it wasn't even his fault."_

_"In a way, it was."_

_"And in another way, it wasn't.  Don't you have Gundam training to go to?"_

_"Yes.  But just answer me this, Mother - was your plan worth the life of former Vice Foreign Minister Darlian?"_

_"It doesn't matter.  He chose his own fate."_

_"...You really are heartless."_

_"Oh no, Trowa.  My problem is that I have_ too _much heart."_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

No one said a word when the Gundams were revealed, gigantic even in the enormous, dimly-lit room.  Duo, Quatre, and Wufei hadn't really known what to expect, but these weapons would have surpassed any expectation.

 

"Watch your step," Colonel Une murmured.  "The gravity in here has been reduced, to make it easier for the technicians."

 

As they stepped inside, they did indeed have to be careful not to use too much force, as Duo discovered when he found himself drifting a few feet in the air.  Hiiro roughly but helpfully pulled him back down, and this time Duo used a series of controlled leaps to get himself over to the sleek black mobile suit he was drawn to.  He came to a graceful stop and reached out almost reverently to lay his hand against the smooth metal of its foot.

 

Above him, too high at this close proximity to be noticed, the eyes of Gundam 02 suddenly sparked to life.  The twin points of emerald green burned eerily in the dimness.

 

Quatre, standing at the feet of his own Gundam and staring up at it in awe, only barely noticed the man who came quietly up to him, dressed as a mechanic.  "Sir," the man said respectfully, offering the end of a booster line to him.  The other end was attached higher up on Gundam 04, and Quatre accepted it with a grateful smile.

 

When he became dissatisfied with the slow upward progress of the line, he took advantage of the low gravity by making his way up in leaps, using his feet to push off the Gundam and deftly exchanging handfuls of the line when it got too slack.  A delicious thrill ran up his spine when the mobile suit's eyes came to mechanical life and its comparatively massive head inclined toward him.

 

Wufei did not even need to touch his new Gundam for it to acknowledge him.  He knew at once that his decision had been the right one when the hatch creaked open of its own accord, perhaps at the sound of his footsteps or his voice.  Backing up to the wall, Wufei then ran forward and leaped powerfully.  His flight slowed so that it was almost a drift when he reached the Gundam, but he had judged it well enough that he had not quite yet started to fall.  He immediately seated himself, strapped in, and studied the screens and control panels for a minute before closing the hatch.  It would never have occurred to him to do otherwise.

 

Colonel Une, seeing the other boys also getting into their MS and looking strangely as if they were preparing for battle, turned to the scientists who had come up beside her.  "What are they doing?" she asked urgently.

 

"Getting acquainted," Dr. J answered with a chuckle.

 

Duo, playing with buttons and screen icons, soon figured out how to adjust the view on the three screens, alter certain settings, and--

 

"I'm dreaming," he said breathlessly when he located a certain feature.  "They wouldn't really--"  The greenish beam ignited, and Duo whooped when the item his Gundam had been holding turned out to be some kind of gigantic scythe-lightsaber-thing.

 

He was startled by other sounds coming over the speakers:  a gasp that might have been Quatre, and a delighted murmur in Wufei's voice, something about a flamethrower.  Apparently the comm-system was linked between the Gundams, so that the pilots could hear each other.  What really captured Duo's attention, however, was the sound of another beam weapon igniting, and he looked over to find a colorful white Gundam with a beam saber brandished in its hand.  "Oh, _yes_!" Duo crowed, and without even thinking, he lunged to attack.

 

"Open the roof!" Colonel Une shouted.  "Move it!  Before they destroy this place!"  The enormous hatch in the roof slowly ground open, but not before Gundams 01 and 02 began sparring, 05 aimed a stream of fire at 04, and 03 had retaliated with a brief shower of bullets.  Luckily, Agent 03 was still being careful with the building they were confined in, but chances were that wouldn't last long.

 

There was a blinding burst of propulsion from Gundam 01's legs, and it blasted through the opening into the sky, with 02 in hot pursuit.

 

"Perhaps we should have let 01 and 03 actually use their Gundams before now," Instructor H commented.  "I doubt they will be able to resist testing out those beauties in real combat, any more than the new recruits will."

 

"They can't," Colonel Une fumed.  "Damaging valuable MS for sport, disregarding secrecy, possibly injuring their fellow pilots--"

 

"Too late now," Professor G pointed out.

 

Duo felt like he was in some kind of wonderful dream.  All those years of gaming, frustrated by the orphanage's outdated systems, seizing every chance for free games he could find...it was like his heart had yearned for _this_ , this perfection of console battle, this fight that actually _meant_ something and wasn't just a fantasy played out in a pixilated world...for the first time, that nagging restlessness had vanished.

 

Wufei gloried in the battle.  The Gundam felt like an extension of himself; its gushing fire like his own breath, dangerous and magnified by the intensity of his desire for justice.  With this machine, he would punish the ones who had cut down Meilan in her innocence, and then he would go on to destroy the weapons, to neutralize those men who had corrupted their power, to make sure that no one would ever be hurt by their evil again.

 

He knew the mobile suit was in perfect agreement, for it struck out with his same vigor, and alerted him to the enemy's movements, and then gradually, gently, showed him the faces of the pilots behind the other MS, brought to him the sound of their voices.  It was a reminder that they were not the true enemy after all, that those who deserved to feel the wrath of the dragon's fire were still out of his reach - but not for long.

 

Quatre had fallen in love with his Gundam the moment he set eyes on it - so the immensity of its violent power surprised and distressed him.  When he raised gleaming twin sickles to fend off an attack from 05, the screeching sound of metal on metal sickened him.  "Oh, Sandrock," he whispered, for the name came easily to his tongue.  "These beautiful weapons of yours are not simply ornamentation, are they.  You are a destroyer.  That is your purpose...I see now."

 

He caressed the interior wistfully, and fresh determination flowed into him.  "Very well," he agreed.  "You will teach me to fight...and what we will destroy will be desire of those who would hurt people, who would start wars for money, who would put their own political interests before the welfare of the people.  Our violence must be pure."  For the first time during the fight, Gundam 04 forced 05 to defend.

 

Hiiro, who felt more like he was the mechanical giant itself than a flesh and blood mortal contained inside it, finally noticed that someone in authority was trying to contact him.  Suppressing a sigh, he raised the volume.

_"01, cease this skirmish at once and return to base."_

 

Annoying as it was, they were right, of course.  01 thrust its beam saber at 02's wrist, effective only because 02's pilot had probably expected an attack on a more vital area.  Swiftly taking advantage of 02's loosened grip, 01 wrenched the beam scythe from its hand, to discourage further attack.  01 then dropped back down to the Gundams' hangar, ignoring pilot 02's enraged shout and calmly ducking the mobile beam weapon it fired from its other wrist.  Hiiro noticed that 03 was also disengaging, skillfully luring 05 down with it.  04 followed with no urging.

 

The five huge MS landed heavily in the open area usually used for MS testing and training.  The pilots emerged one by one, 02 whooping, and 04 and 05 grinning as if they couldn't stop.

 

"That was so great, man," Duo crowed.  "Why'd you run off, Hiiro?  Deathscythe and I were about to kick your butt!"

 

Quatre laughed when he heard this.  "You named yours, too?" he said.  "Good, now I don't feel silly."

 

Colonel Une's voice rang out dismissively.  "These Gundams are elite mobile suits.  It is childish and useless to give them names.  Get it into your heads that these are weapons, not pets."

 

The boys looked over at her, where she and the others had moved to an upper level control room that put them at eye-level with the Gundams' cockpits.

 

Duo made a face at her.  "You don't know what you're talking about, lady."  He turned to his recent sparring partner.  "Come on, Hiiro, what's your Gundam's name?"

 

Hiiro returned his expectant look with silence, which went on for so long that it seemed like he wouldn't answer.  Then he suddenly turned his face away and whispered, "Wing."

 

Duo laughed triumphantly, and Quatre's face lit up.  "Trowa?" he questioned hopefully.

 

Trowa sighed, then admitted quietly, "Heavyarms."

 

"You too, Wu-man!" Duo called.

 

Wufei gave him an annoyed look.  As if it was the most obvious thing in the world, he stated, "I fight alongside Nataku.  She has always been Nataku, even when I was too blind to understand."

 

As Duo was pestering him about this cryptic answer, Colonel Une frowned.  Perhaps it was understandable from the boisterous new additions, but it made her uneasy to realize that the usually dependable 01 and 03 had been hiding this little quirk.

 

"How fascinating," one of the scientists remarked, and Une shot him an exasperated look.

 

"Hey, I bet you can see the whole town from here," Duo was now exclaiming as he scaled up the head and shoulders of "Deathscythe."  Quatre liked the idea and began climbing up as well.  Neither Hiiro nor Trowa bothered to tell them that they could have gotten the same view (minus windblown hair) from their cockpits, if they tapped into their Gundams' visual input channels.

 

"You _can_ see the whole town!" Duo yelled.  "There's the park, and look, that's where--"  He broke off abruptly.

 

"I think I can see the school," Quatre called back.  "But I might be wrong, because there's no--"

 

"Get down at once," Colonel Une ordered, just barely able to keep the sudden panic out of her voice.

 

"What's wrong?" Wufei smirked.  "Afraid they'll fall and break their wee little necks?"

 

Hiiro and Trowa, however, understood what she was alarmed about.

 

"Come on, Quatre," Trowa called.  "You'll get to see the school later."

 

Hiiro glared up at Duo.  "The colonel gave you an order, 02."

 

Duo had been straining his vision, to make sure he was really seeing - or not seeing - the object of his attention.  Then he whirled, slid back down to the open cockpit, and leaped from that little platform to the control room, too preoccupied for hesitation.

 

"Where is it?" he demanded of Colonel Une.  "I know this town like the back of my hand, and it's _not there_ , where is it?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied coldly.  "We've already wasted enough time with this unscheduled, pointless skirmish of yours.  You are to report to the training center immediately to commence Leo battle simula--"

_"Where is the church?"_ Duo shouted at her.  "There should be a blackened ground zero where they blasted my home to bits, and it's NOT THERE!"

 

"Do not take that tone with me!" Colonel Une shouted back.  She raised her hand and struck him across the face.  "Once again, 02, this lack of discipline on your part will _not_ be tolerated--"

 

Duo slapped her back.

 

In the stunned hush that followed, Hiiro wondered why Duo was such a slow learner when it came to the simple fact that you just did _not_ defy Colonel Une.

 

"Lock him up," Une finally ordered, her icy wrath more terrible than if she had bellowed it.  "Until he learns what kind of behavior is expected of a soldier."

 

Surprisingly, Duo did not protest, except to drag his heels and stare hard at Quatre over his shoulder.  He focused hard on trying to will a message to the other boy.  Quatre, however, was not a mind-reader, and all his Spaceheart could tell him was that Duo was feeling very upset, and urgently wanted to communicate something.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Relena awoke in stages.  First it was a vague, uneasy sense that she was sleeping when she shouldn't be.  And a very bad feeling, as if something terrible had happened.  Eventually she found herself staring up at the ceiling, tears streaming down her face, because her kind, patient father was dead.

 

Finally she remembered the letter, that last message he had for her.  She tore into it, seeking comfort from his words, and then she stared and stared at them without taking them in, because what they said was too impossible.

 

_To be continued...._


	7. Act 7 - Escaping

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 7 - Escaping**

 

"What do you make of it?" he asked when she finished perusing the new intelligence reports.

 

Noin frowned.  "I think you've been right all along.  The Alliance _is_ developing some type of new weapon, and this report indicates that it's a special MS model."

 

"That's the part I wasn't sure about before," Zechs said, "but now it's as obvious as it's going to get.  I'm sending Otto to see if he can find out more."  He stood and gathered up his copy of the report.  "The Alliance has tipped its hand too early," he mused.  Then his face hardened.  "Noin, begin preparations for our next attack."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It was lonely without Duo around.  Quatre and Wufei had dutifully gone into training with the Leos soon after the morning's incident, and they had finally been released for a late lunch.

 

Wufei had immediately taken his food out to the small courtyard (complete with fountain, flower beds, and statuary; Quatre suspected that Treize's pleasure was the only reason such a beautiful area existed in this cold place).  His manner had made it clear that he wanted no company.

 

Quatre sighed as he struggled to get the weird-looking vending machine to emit his food selection.  It finally popped out just when he was ready to give up, which almost disappointed him:  handy as it must be to have vending machines that offered full meals, the packages of no doubt nutritious yet preservative-laden victuals did not look too appetizing.  He missed actual cooking.

 

He was just wondering if it would be too lame to go eat lunch with Sally, that nice medic, when Trowa walked up.  "Trowa!" he called gratefully.  "I'm so glad you're here.  Do you want to eat lunch together?  Or," he added, a little crestfallen at the thought, "are you too busy?"

 

Trowa did not answer for a minute, seemingly absorbed in obtaining a few protein bars from the machine.  Then, as he was reaching to pick them up, he said in a low voice, "If you're interested in seeing Duo anytime soon, or in getting a closer look at the school, I suggest that you meet us in the garage within twenty minutes."

 

Quatre, gaping, watched as Trowa strolled out the glass doors and paused casually beside Wufei.  It looked for all the world as if Trowa was pausing to munch on one of his protein bars as he watched the fountain for a moment; neither he nor Wufei, who was sitting comfortably on the ground, looked at each other or seemed to move their lips.  But Quatre was certain that Trowa was relaying a similar message.  With that realization, he rushed to do as Trowa had instructed.

 

He still had not figured his way around the place, however.  As the minutes ticked by and Quatre began to get more and more anxious about missing Trowa's deadline, he heard voices in a nearby room and decided to ask for help.  The door was open a crack, so he peeked his head in.

 

"...not going to be happy," a man was saying.  He was well-built and had a familiar accent; Quatre was surprised to see that he, along with his three companions, were dressed like the Maganacs, though Quatre did not recognize any of them.  It made him a little uneasy to see the large guns they had slung across their shoulders, but he supposed it shouldn't be that unusual a sight in a military base.

 

They were standing in what looked to be a conference room, talking to a woman with long wavy hair dyed blonde and loosely caught up in a hair clip.  "He'd better be happy, after the strings I pulled for him," she was replying.  "It's not my fault you people apparently can't carry out a simple mission."

 

Quatre decided he had better make his presence known before they thought he was eavesdropping.  "Excuse me," he said loudly.

 

All five whirled around instantly, the men bringing up their guns.  Quatre gasped and whipped away from the door, trying to avoid getting shot.

 

"Don't open fire!" the woman was shouting inside.  "Have you forgotten where you are?"

 

Wide-eyed, Quatre was just edging away when the men burst out and one of them seized him by the front of his shirt.  "What are you doing here?" he snarled in the boy's face.

 

"Just need directions," Quatre gasped.  "Let go of me!"  The other men were aiming their weapons at him, their faces strained and dangerous.  Quatre was just wondering if his new apparent superpowers included enough strength and speed to break free and make a dash for it, but it turned out there was no need.

 

"Let him go," the woman said tensely, coming out behind them.  "That's Agent 04.  You don't want to mess with him."

 

Quatre frowned.  "I have a name, you know," he informed her.  "I am Quatre Raberba Winner.  I'm a person, not just some experiment or weapon with no feelings."

 

The men were gaping at him.  "Quatre...-sama...?" the one holding him whispered.

 

The others seemed to have forgotten their weapons, which hung limply at their sides.  "It _is_ him!" one of them said excitedly.  "He looks just like the Master's wife, it has to be him!"

 

"Quatre-sama, we've found you at last!" the one holding him said reverently, his hands now gentle as they smoothed away the wrinkles from his grip.

 

"We must bring him back with us," another one said decisively.

 

"What?" Quatre exclaimed.  "Who are you people?"

 

"You can't take him with you," the woman said quickly.  "Didn't you hear me before?  He's Agent 04, or so the Alliance believes.  He's right at the top, his disappearance will certainly not be missed."

 

The men were glaring at her in outrage.  "You are telling us to just walk away?" one of them demanded.  "Our master would never forgive us."

 

"That's not my problem.  If you want 04, I'm not helping you, I've already put enough on the line by letting you use the Elevator."

 

One of them placed the barrel of the gun under her chin.  "Don't bother going out of your way," he said menacingly.  "I'm sure we can manage on our own."

 

"Can you?" she answered softly.  Her hand was resting against her pocket, which contained a trigger device for the base's alarm system.

 

A slim hand took hold of the gun and lifted it away.  When it encountered resistance, it squeezed until the gun emitted a groan and began to bend.  When the man dropped the gun in surprise, his startled gaze moved to the last person he expected to be capable of such an action.

 

"Leave the lady alone," Quatre said quietly.  His delicate face, usually warm and friendly, now wore an expression hard as steel.

 

The man looked from the young soldier to the ruined weapon on the ground.  Then he smiled.  "As my lord Quatre commands," he said quietly.  Then he turned to the woman and bowed.  "Forgive me.  I humbly request that you assist us once again."

 

The woman nodded.  With a last glance back at Agent 04, she led the men away.

 

Quatre, looking after them, would have liked to ask a few things - _"Who are you?  Why do you know me?  Could you please tell me where the garage is?"_ \- but he figured it would ruin the effect.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro mused idly that sneaking around his own base was not really different from sneaking around an enemy base.  There were the same kind of guards to avoid, the same security systems to disarm.  Perhaps he wouldn't be tortured and/or executed if he was caught, but there was still the loss of trust, the inevitable suspicion; eventually they might even deem him useless or unreliable.  No telling what a cold-hearted organization would do to such a failed experiment.

 

With this firmly in mind, Hiiro continued to make his way to the prison bay, where he knew 02 was being kept.  He was certain that he himself would be able to complete the mission and rendezvous with 03 in the garage within the allotted time, but 02's behavior was be an added variable.

 

"Hiiro!" a voice called behind him.  Too conditioned to remember that he was in a friendly base and that he would be better off acting casual, Hiiro instantly whirled around and moved to silence the person before he could give away Hiiro's presence.  Only an instinctive evasion saved Quatre from unconsciousness.  "What's wrong?" he gasped, dancing warily out of Hiiro's reach.  "I didn't mean to startle you, but I don't know my way around and got lost...."

 

Hiiro released a breath, relieved.  "Just stay with me, we'll end up in the same place anyway.  Do not let yourself be seen by any guards or security cameras, do you understand?"

 

Quatre was puzzled, but he nodded.  "Is this some sort of jail?" he asked in a whisper.  Hiiro didn't answer, and Quatre had to be satisfied with the locks on the heavy doors and the far-off sight of armed guards patrolling the halls.  "Are we rescuing Duo?" he whispered again.

 

Hiiro stopped in his tracks, wondering if he should just send 04 on ahead after all.  But the other boy didn't know the way, and Hiiro did not have time to explain it to him.  He had to settle for ordering, "Be silent unless it is absolutely necessary to speak."

 

"Yes, sir," Quatre sighed.  Someday, he vowed, he would find out how to have a conversation with Hiiro that wasn't strictly business.  Granted, this wasn't the best time for chit-chat.

 

Unfortunately, there was a guard stationed directly in front of 02's cell, and there wasn't time to wait and see if he would eventually move.  Hiiro put his mouth very close to Quatre's ear.  _"I'll neutralize him.  Go for his communications device."_

 

Quatre nodded, and the boys sprang into action.  Seconds later, the cell door whooshed open.

 

"Um...is this the right room?" Quatre asked uncertainly.  It was empty.

 

Hiiro suddenly cursed.  It should have occurred to him earlier that 02's specialties might have enabled him to escape unaided.  Sure enough, when he glanced back into the cell, he could see a vent cover leaning askew and a dropped hairpin on the floor, which was all he needed for confirmation.  "Let's go," he ordered.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Duo crept between rows of vehicles, trying to figure out which one would be the best to steal.  The problem was, not one of them looked like the cars he was used to, which meant it would take him a lot longer to figure out how to hot-wire whichever one he picked; and there was no telling what sort of special features they came equipped with.  He could end up picking some sleek super-fast beauty and find that it failed him if he had to go off-road.

 

"Come on, Maxwell, this isn't a spy movie," he whispered to himself.  "Enough with the car chase fantasies, just pick one and go."

 

"02, over here," someone called in a whisper.

 

Duo instinctively shrank into hiding, but when he peeked out cautiously, he could see Trowa and Wufei, of all people, climbing into a dark blue car that looked almost normal.

 

"Quick," Trowa called again impatiently.  "I don't want to start the engine 'til we can leave immediately."

 

"Why aren't you turning me in?" Duo hissed back.

 

"Because Hiiro and I think you three should see the truth for yourselves.  Now let's _go_."

 

Duo dashed across and climbed into the back.  Wufei, in the passenger seat, looked over his shoulder.  "You should never strike a woman," he remarked.  "It is unmanly to exert force against a creature weaker than oneself."

 

"Colonel Une, weak," Trowa echoed, smiling faintly.

 

"She hit me first!" Duo insisted.

 

"And you degraded yourself by reacting without dignity."

 

"Seems to me that _both_ of you could learn to fit in a bit more," Trowa commented.  "You're not going to get far around here if you don't earn the trust of the people in charge."  He added in the faintest of murmurs, "Believe me, I should know."

 

A light on the device on his belt started blinking:  Hiiro's signal.  Trowa immediately started the car and drove around to the doors, where Hiiro and Quatre were just emerging.  The moment they tumbled inside, Trowa hit the gas.  As they approached the exit, his device broadcast codes that caused the gate to open automatically so they didn't have to stop.

 

"Won't they find out it was us?" Quatre asked worriedly, looking back at the man on gatekeeper duty, who was waving his arms after them.

 

"Of course," Trowa answered.  "The goal is just to get us out, it doesn't matter what happens later.  You should have been told from the start."

 

"They wouldn't have believed it without proof," Hiiro pointed out.

 

"It's hard to believe even _with_ proof," Trowa chuckled.

 

"Believe what?" Wufei demanded.

 

"Yes, what's going on, Trowa?" Quatre asked.

 

"I don't care about that now, I wanna see the church," Duo cut in.

 

Trowa shook his head.  "Where do you think we're going?"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Hey there, sunshine!" Sally greeted when she came in.  "It's good to see you awake.  I hope Hiiro wasn't too rough with you earlier."

 

Relena looked up at her tearfully.  "My father's dead," she said.  "He's dead and Hiiro wouldn't help him."

 

"Oh, sweetheart," Sally sighed, putting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.  "There was nothing he could do.  _You_ would have been killed if Hiiro hadn't gotten you out of there quickly enough."

 

Relena broke down crying again, allowing Sally to pat her back and make soothing noises.  "Why?" Relena sobbed.  "Why did they kill my father?"

 

"I...I don't know," Sally said helplessly.

 

"And that's not true!" Relena added fiercely, stabbing a finger at the letter she had thrown across the bed.  "That letter is impossible and it's not true!"

 

Sally picked up the sheets of paper thoughtfully.  "May I?" she asked.

 

"I don't care," Relena said, putting her face in her hands.

 

Sally began to read.  _"My dearest Relena.  If you are reading this, I am probably dead, and there is much that you need to know.  First of all, I am not your real father...."_

 

Sally skimmed down to the bottom, and gasped.  "You're _Relena Peacecraft_?" she exclaimed.  "What are you doing here?!  You shouldn't be here."  Then something else in the letter hit home.  "Winner finally tracked you down...I need to tell Treize right away!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The intersection of Midgar and Balamb streets looked perfectly normal.  Duo couldn't believe they were in the right place, but when he jumped out of the car, there wasn't a thing out of the ordinary.  Shop fronts, run-down apartments, skimpy trees...not a trace of ash, nothing blackened, no destroyed buildings.  Where the church was supposed to be, there was an office building instead.  He approached it, eyes searching in vain for anything familiar.

 

Hiiro strode ahead of him and located the memorial plaque.  "Here," he told Duo.  "Read this."

 

Duo leaned over and fingered the engraved words as he read them.  He had to look at it several times before he could get over his disbelief to take in what it said.  _"A.C. 100 - Placed in memory of the people of Maxwell Church, casualties of the pre-Crisis."_

 

"The building is much newer than this plaque," Trowa explained.  "There's been several construction projects on this property, but preservation societies have made sure the memorial remained untouched."

 

"Memorial," Duo said wildly.  "It hasn't even been two days!"

 

"And what is this Crisis it speaks of?" Wufei asked, frowning.

 

"A.C. 100?" Quatre said, looking puzzled.

 

"Let's go look at the school now," Trowa suggested.

 

"Not 'til you tell me what happened here!" Duo said hotly.

 

"Think about it," Hiiro told him, and marched off.

 

Duo followed him angrily, eyes passing over stores that were unfamiliar now that he took a second look.  This couldn't be the right place; things were not as he remembered, even though according to the map in his head, they were in fact standing at Midgar and Balamb.  He glanced at the street signs to make sure, and stopped abruptly.  _"Hiiro Yui St.,"_ one sign read, and _"Maxwell St."_ proclaimed the other.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Treize was waiting for them at the school.  When he saw them driving up, he stepped out of the limo and went to meet them.  "You could have just asked," he told Hiiro when the boys got out.

 

"Faster this way," Hiiro muttered.

 

"Yes," Trowa agreed, frowning.  "You would have drawn it out as long as possible for pure sport."

 

"And you're not doing that yourself, in your own way?" Treize countered.

 

"Of course not," Trowa murmured uneasily.

 

Quatre was tipping his head back as he looked at the almost-familiar campus.  "Just as I thought," he said.  "The clock tower's gone.  I recognized the Academy back on Sandrock, but I got confused when I couldn't see the tower."

 

"At least there's no office building parked where the school should be," Duo muttered darkly.  It was a comfort, though very small, to see the good old courtyard, the cafeteria, everything looking almost deserted because the students were in class.

 

"No," Wufei agreed.  "The school is still here, only it has the wrong name."  When Duo and Quatre looked at him, he pointed to the sign, which read _Peacecraft Academy_.

 

Duo had had enough.  He whirled and marched straight up to Treize, with Quatre and Wufei flanking him.  "Spill it," Duo said quietly.  "And if I hear one more lame excuse, I'll do more than slap you."

 

Quatre nodded and Wufei stretched in preparation, both agreeing with the sentiment if not the means.

 

Treize chuckled.  "Very well, then.  Here it is:  you five young men were born in the year After Crisis 180.  Yet, three of you were kidnapped and transported to a time slightly before the Crisis.  For you, this moment in time is actually 195 years in the future."

 

_To be continued...._


	8. Act 8 - Revealing

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 8 - Revealing**

 

After a long moment, Quatre said slowly, "Every time I thought of that, I dismissed it as impossible.  It just now occurred to me that if it really is 200 years in the future, science must be incredibly advanced...for all we know, time travel really has become possible."

 

"Time travel," Duo echoed, stunned.

 

Wufei nodded in satisfaction.  "We must return at once," he said.

 

"So that you can take up your training again with renewed passion?" Treize suggested with an ironic smile.

 

Wufei snorted.  "Hardly.  Such a thing is now unnecessary if I can go back and stop it from happening."

 

Duo wheeled to face him.  "Stop the bombing?" he whispered, hope growing in his expression.  "Make it so it never happened?  They'll be alive again!"

 

"It doesn't work that way," Hiiro said bluntly.  "You can't bring them back.  If you had managed to prevent it, it would never have happened, which obviously isn't the case."

 

"Besides," Trowa added, "the Elevator only travels to exactly 195 years in the past.  You can't pick and choose what time you want to go to."

 

Wufei frowned ferociously, and Duo burst out, "How lame is that!  You have a freaking _time machine_ and can only use it to go to one place?"

 

"Why 195 years?" Quatre wanted to know.  "Wouldn't you have more uses for a machine with that kind of power?"

 

"When time travel was first developed about fifteen years ago," Treize explained, "we were indeed able to experiment with traveling to different times.  However, when the three of you were kidnapped by White Fang and sent to the past, not only were the time machines destroyed, but we lost the means to re-build them.  It took us years to recover crucial data and restore enough of the technology, and even longer to pinpoint where you had been sent.  By that time, we realized that by the year of the Crisis, you would be the same age as Hiiro and Trowa are now."

 

"And the Crisis is...?" Quatre asked.

 

Treize smiled.  "When the world was almost destroyed by alien invaders."

" _What_?" Duo yelped in disbelief.

 

"The Gundams," Hiiro clarified impatiently.

 

"Imagine how the people of your time would explain it if they witnessed mobile suit battles," Trowa offered.

 

Quatre's eyes widened.  "So this Crisis was - or will be - our fault."

 

Treize chuckled, and the other two did not answer.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Relena sat slumped at a table, cradling a mug of tea between her hands but too preoccupied to actually drink it.  "So many questions," she murmured.  "Why would anyone shoot my father?  Why would Hiiro threaten to kill me and then save my life instead?  How can this be almost 200 years in the future?"  Her eyes filled with tears.  "How come my whole life turns out to have been a lie?"

 

Sally was at a loss for how to comfort the girl.  It _was_ a lot of information to take in all at once, on top of trauma and grief.  "Well," she said, "when it comes to Hiiro, I doubt it was personal either way.  That poor kid does everything on orders."

 

"He...he saved my life on orders?"  Relena's eyes brightened with anger.  "Whose orders?  Who is Hiiro working for?"

 

"He's...a special agent for the Alliance, where you are now."

 

When Sally was not more forthcoming, Relena pressed, "And what is the Alliance?  What do you make him do?"

 

" _Officially_ , we work for the peace of the world."

 

"And unofficially?"

 

Sally sighed.  "I don't know anymore."  She quirked an eyebrow.  "As for what Hiiro does, it's hard to explain when you don't even know what a mobile suit is."

 

Relena looked at her.  "Then tell me."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"One battle," Treize had bargained.  "Then you can re-visit the past.  Though I'm afraid that eventually you must get used to the fact that A.C. 195 is your home now."

 

The boys had blown through general MS training, eager to get back to their Gundams.  "Hey, buddy!" Duo greeted Deathscythe.  "Long time no see!"

 

"The repairs are not yet complete," Colonel Une informed them sourly.  "You'll have to make do with your suits being less than 100% functional."

 

"Good simulation of battle conditions," Hiiro grunted as he pushed past her.

 

"You know," Quatre whispered to Duo, "if Hiiro was anyone else, I would have said he just made a joke."

 

The training programs were basically the same ones they had been using - enemy MS, mines, ground bases, space fortresses - but somehow it _felt_ different to do it at the controls of the Gundams.

 

"You know every move I will make," Wufei whispered to Nataku.  "We really were meant for each other.  I won't disappoint you this time."

 

"Yeah!" Duo cheered as an enemy Leo exploded on his screen.  The Gundams were not actually moving; however, by operating the controls in sim mode, it showed on the screens what would be happening in a real battle, and to some extent re-created the effects of certain movements and damage taken.  "I love that scythe thing, man.  Suits us perfectly."  He grinned up at the top of his cockpit.  "You and me, bud - we're gonna scare the pants off them just by walking up to the battlefield."  He paused, then added softly, "Maybe if we fight hard enough, we can kill Death himself, and no one will have to die ever again."

 

"There are Greek myths about that," Quatre commented, overhearing him through the commlink system.  "It never lasted, though.  Death was always eventually set free."

 

"Not in all myth," Trowa put in mildly.  "Other traditions say that Death and Hades end up being flung into an eternal lake of fire."

 

Duo laughed.  "Isn't that a Bible verse?  Never woulda pegged you for a Christian, man."

 

Trowa frowned.  "Just because I know it's in the Bible doesn't mean I believe it."

 

"Oooh," Duo teased darkly, "looks like someone's going to hell."

 

"And will I be seeing you there?" Trowa countered.  "Just how much do _you_ believe in the Bible your family thought was so important, 02?"

 

There was no answer for a moment, then a curse as Duo's lapse in concentration cost him some damage points.

 

In the control room, Colonel Une was shaking her head.  "How can they have a casual conversation and still be making these results?"

 

"Casual?" Doktor S said dryly.  "A conversation about death doesn't strike me as casual."

 

"Does a soldier profit by philosophizing about the afterlife?" Professor G sniffed.

 

"All who fight must come to terms with death in one way or another," Instructor H put in.

 

"Yes," Master O agreed.  "Otherwise they fear death, and become weak cowards with no right to the title of warrior."

 

"The way these wars are going," Dr. J said dryly, "it makes no difference whether a man is a warrior or a coward."  And because Colonel Une was present (though Treize would have understood, had he been there), none of them voiced the conclusion, _'That is why we need these Gundam pilots.'_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro felt exhilarated as he headed for his bunk.  Those last sims where he had had to fight one or more of the other pilots had been incredibly satisfying.  Only two people had ever made his battles feel meaningful:  Trowa and Zechs Marquise.  For a long time, he had thought that all battles were alike, in the sense that the enemy was vastly inferior and something tiresome that had to be cut down for the sake of clearing a mission.  It was only fighting Trowa in simulations that felt different.  It was challenging, exciting.

 

Then it had been Zechs, during an ambush on White Fang, who awakened him to the possibility that the enemy was more than just the pilot of a machine.  There had seemed to be a _connection_ between them as soon as they crossed blades, something that gave life to their fight.  Hiiro could tell instinctively that Zechs's sense of honor and motivation was strong.  Most importantly, the leader of White Fang possessed skill enough to actually require Hiiro to fight for his life, to have to draw on reserves of strength, not just of mind and body, but of conviction.

 

A person had to be secure in his beliefs when fighting Zechs, even if it was as simple as, _"My enemy is whoever seeks my life."_   Painful as it was for Hiiro to really question and think about these things for the first time, it also opened new worlds of possibility, made Hiiro feel more like a human being, with all the passions and demands and longing for truth that such a thing entailed.

 

Yet it also opened the door to strong emotion, which Hiiro simply could not afford.  Thinking about things too much, bucking the pattern, allowing emotion to take control - it was too dangerous for Hiiro's narrow world in which he was, for all practical purposes, enslaved.  So he walked a fine line, tapping into what he needed to be able to fight the Lightning Baron, and locking it all away again when he had to return to the world outside the cockpit.

 

Hiiro didn't know whether to be glad or frustrated that his battles with Zechs had been deliberately cut short, for fear of rousing the formidable Lightning Baron's suspicions too early.  After all, the pilots themselves were secret weapons, even more so than their fancy mobile suits.  Who else, after all, could actually pilot a Gundam and survive?  Without the boys they were synched to, the Gundams were just useless hulks of metal and programming.

 

Hiiro halted uneasily when he saw the girl waiting for him.  Relena Darlian looked at him with tormented blue eyes, one hand on the wall for support.  She was accompanied by Sally Po.

 

"Well," the medic said, "here he is.  Since I doubt my presence will be wanted, I shall gracefully take my leave - but for the sake of your own health, no getting yourself worked up, Miss Peacecraft."

 

"Please don't call me that," Relena whispered.

 

Sally looked sympathetic.  "Miss Darlian, then."  She smiled.  "Or maybe just plain Relena."  With that, she left them.

 

"Your name really is Peacecraft," Hiiro pointed out.

 

Relena didn't speak for a moment.  Then she asked quietly, "Hiiro...why did you save me?"

 

Uncomfortably, he remembered telling her earlier that he would kill her.  "I didn't know you were _the_ Relena Peacecraft."

 

"What do you mean _the_ Relena Peacecraft?" she demanded, too quickly.

 

Hiiro studied her carefully.  "Do you believe that this is the year A.C. 195?"

 

Relena was on the verge of bursting out, _'Of_ course _not!  That's crazy!'_   But she swallowed her words when she realized Hiiro would tell her nothing if she admitted that.  So she said instead, "Yes, I do."

 

He looked at her for a while before answering.  "Shortly after the Crisis, there was a period of unrest.  Two great leaders for peace rose up, a woman named Relena who claimed to be descended from the Peacecraft family, and a man named Hiiro Yui."

 

Relena gasped.

 

"Not me," Hiiro said impatiently.  "At one point I needed a code name, and that's what Dr. J chose."

 

"A...code name?" Relena said in disbelief.  "You don't have a real name?"

 

"You don't understand," Hiiro snapped, surprised at his own anger.  "The five of us were put together in test tubes, developed in a lab - we had no parents to name us.  Unlike you, we weren't meant to be normal humans, to be raised by a family and sent to school and take on some useless job before finally dying in obscurity.  We were bred for a purpose, to fight."

 

"That's...that's horrible!"

 

"Is it?" he countered.  "So you would prefer a world controlled by a military dictatorship, perhaps plagued by rebel terrorists who cause battles in which civilians are killed?  Because that's what will happen without the Gundams."

 

Relena shook her head.  "It's wrong.  I can't believe....  It is just so wrong to me that peace can only be achieved by fighting."

 

"Yes," Hiiro said.  "You'll still be thinking that in about thirty years, when you're assassinated along with Hiiro Yui at a peace rally, which ushered in the political turmoil that eventually led to the wars we're dealing with now."

 

She gaped at him.

 

"I only saved you from the first assassination attempt," he explained.  "There will be more, since you've got important work to do in the next few decades, and some people don't like that.  I tried to save you from the final assassination attempt, too - but that time, I failed.  When I regained consciousness, you were dead, and they were arguing whether or not to scrap me for my failure.  The only reason they didn't is because I was only five years old at the time.  Dr. J thought I could still be useful if I was retrained."

 

A few minutes later, Hiiro was getting bored and wondering if he should just leave, or wait until Relena had stopped her anguished weeping.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

 _He had first met her - technically, he had_ seen _her before, but how could that mean anything? - when he was walking in the new courtyard, annoyed by the blaring of alarms in the distance.  He caught sight of her at once, a forlorn little figure clad in nothing but a thin white hospital gown.  He was struck with pity of course, since he suddenly knew exactly why the alarms were going off, but also with a much more powerful wave of attraction._

_Une-X49B was no longer the little waif who, despite her gentleness, was the only surviving clone of the Une batch.  She had blossomed into a woman, her figure unmistakable through her fragile, sun-lit garment._

_It seemed dishonorable, somehow, to be seeing her like this, when he did not yet have a right to it.  Slipping off his cloak, Treize moved up behind her and placed it around her shoulders.  She tensed, her fingers reaching to grip the cloak tightly around her.  Yet she said nothing, and neither did he at first as he came around to sit beside her on the bench.  For a long moment, he pretended to be admiring the quiet beauty of the garden, with its warbling of birds and the soothing trickle of the fountain._

_"What a beautiful day," he finally remarked.  "I am quite glad I decided to have this placed developed.  I find myself feeling stifled sometimes in those cold, colorless rooms."_

_She spoke in a very low voice.  "You have no idea what it means to be stifled, Treize-sama."_

_He turned to her, grateful that she was willing to speak to him.  "My dear, formality is not necessary.  You may call me what you like."_

_She slowly raised her head to meet his eyes squarely, although her fingers were pale from gripping the cloak so hard.  "Please.  Please don't mock me.  You are the king of this place, and I am nothing but a slave and prisoner in your dungeons."_

_The truth in her words stung.  He looked away for a minute, then smiled at her and lifted a hand to her cheek.  "You are no slave," he told her.  "You are a lady to me."  His kiss was brief and gentle, but she couldn't stand it and broke away, weeping._

_"Why are you doing this to me?  All I wanted was a few precious moments of freedom, and you come here making sport of me until they come to lock me up again.  I didn't realize even you were that cruel, Treize-sama!"_

_"Lady," he said, for he knew she had no other name, "they wanted to make a soldier, a weapon with which to demolish their enemies.  Their disappointment at their own failure has made them blind to what they have instead."_

_As she wept, he cradled her face in one hand and lightly pressed his forehead to hers.  "You are no weapon.  You are more valuable than that.  You are our hope for peace, the rose that blooms out of the ashes of war.  Please, Lady, never lose the innocence that shines with such purity from your eyes."_

_As she looked at him, her wounded heart quivering in the painful warmth of his love, she vowed silently,_ 'They wanted me to be a weapon, and looked at me so coldly...but you are different.' _A tremulous smile teased her lips._   'I cannot be their soldier, Treize-sama, but for you, I will become anything.'

_The escaped clone was found, but to everyone's astonishment, Treize Khushrenada declared that it was to work directly for him from now on.  There was to be no further testing, and all other clone experiments were discontinued._

_Lady Une soon proved her talent, first as an MS pilot and then as a commander, so that she was made a colonel in the Alliance.  And as Treize watched her bind up her hair and call out harsh orders, he came to wonder what had happened to his innocent, sweet-faced lady.  Why was it that the vulnerable beauty he had loved so much about her was now locked up as tightly as if she was still in OZ's labs?_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro was still standing there, staring after Relena, even though she was long gone by now.  Why had it bothered him so much to watch her cry?  He had had no patience with it when he thought she was boo-hooing her fate.  Everyone had to die, and the sooner they accepted that fact, the better.  No...what had thrown him was when she sobbed, "You were _five_?" and then put her arms around him.

 

He had gone rigid, having never before in his life been touched like this.  He hated it, hated it, and just stood and stared at her because he could think of nothing to say to make her stop, until she finally let go and looked sorrowfully into his face.  "Don't let them keep doing this to you, Hiiro Yui," she whispered.  Then she had gone away, looking as if she was more upset about _him_ than about what was going to happen to her.

 

Hiiro was just about to put the incident from his mind and continue on, when Duo came pelting into sight, dragging Quatre behind him.  "Hiiro!  _There_ you are!  C'mere, quick!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Sally wasn't sure whether to be irritated at the distraction, or glad for a break, when her personal comm beeped at her.

 

"Please be something interesting," she told it as she checked the typed message.

_sally, u should come to the rec room. youll never believe what the boys r up 2. -dorothy_

 

Sally frowned.  "The rec room?"  Only youngsters with menial jobs usually had time to play games and goof off there.  There had been talk of getting rid of the rec room for a while now, but its supporters, though far in the minority, were vehement defenders.

 

She shrugged.  "Ah, what have I got to lose."  Blowing a kiss to the heaps of paperwork on her desk, she went in search of Dorothy and the Gundam pilots.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Quite a crowd of trainees and young technicians had gathered in the rec room, all cheering and yelling, and Sally wouldn't have been surprised if there were unusual numbers of people watching from the security cameras, too.  Apparently, whatever was going on was quite interesting.

 

Catching sight of a shock of blonde hair, Sally pushed her way over to Dorothy.  "So what did you call me down for?"

 

The girl smiled and pointed.  Sally looked, and her jaw slowly dropped.

 

Although Trowa and Wufei were (unfortunately) merely watching on the sidelines, Duo Maxwell was putting on quite a show at one of the Dance Dance Revolution machines.  His frequent exclamations served as punctuation to his artistically twirling arms, as he danced over the colorful squares.

 

"Who's the man now?!  _Yea_ -ah!  That the best you can do after 200 years, ya Jetsons reject?" he taunted the machine.

 

"A few minutes ago, he was calling it 'sw33t,'" Dorothy giggled to Sally.  "I think that used to be slang for 'impressive.'"  Sally smiled and shook her head.

 

On Duo's left, Quatre was frowning in concentration, heedless of his flailing arms as he struggled with an impressive degree of success to keep up with the rapidly-falling arrows.  On Duo's other side, Hiiro grimly stomped away as if his life depended on it.  "Looks like Hii-kun is taking this way too seriously," Sally whispered back.

 

The song came to an end and Duo whooped triumphantly, doing a victory dance at encouragement from his audience.  "Again!" he declared.  "I could do this all night!"

 

"I couldn't," Quatre said quickly, wiping sweat from his face.  "Duo, that was fun, but if tomorrow's going to be anything like today, I want to go to _bed_."

 

Hiiro turned to glare at Duo.  "That had absolutely nothing to do with a 'mission,' did it," he said flatly.

 

"Of course it did!" Duo laughed.  "My 'personal mission' to get you to loosen up."

 

"I don't think it worked," Quatre commented as Hiiro wordlessly stalked away.

 

"Some day," Duo vowed, playfully shaking his fist after the other pilot.  Then he turned predatorily towards Trowa and Wufei.

 

"No way," Trowa said at once.  Wufei didn't even have to speak.  _"Touch me and you die"_ was written all over his face.

 

There was a sudden scattering.  Even Trowa and Dorothy managed to slip away, leaving Duo, Quatre, Wufei, and Sally alone in the room, pinned by Colonel Une's stare.  Duo, feigning horror, pretended to ward her off by forming a cross with his fingers.

 

"This is exactly the reason why we are working to abolish the rec room," Colonel Une said to Sally.

 

The medic smiled.  "Une, not everyone can keep their nose to the grinder without an occasional break to relax.  I rather think little get-togethers like this are good for morale."  She turned to the boys.  "However, Quatre was right earlier.  You had better get some sleep - tomorrow's not going to be a picnic.

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  The way this time machine works is partially modeled on the one in _The Sterkarm Handshake_.  Much as I love _Back to the Future_ (and disliked _Sterkarm_ ), that kind of time travel doesn't fit with my ideas for this story.  Plus, I think the _Sterkarm_ version is more realistic.

 

I wanted to clarify that since I'm trying to keep everyone in-character, sometimes they'll say things I personally don't agree with.  What I mean is, don't assume I'm not a Christian just because Trowa's not, for example.


	9. Act 9 - Fighting

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 9 - Fighting**

 

It wasn't a picnic, though mostly because the day's training schedule did not include the Gundams.

 

"Deathscythe is missing me!" Duo insisted.  "He's _bored_ just sitting around all day getting tuned!  He'll go soft if he goes too long without slicing up other MS!"

 

"Even fake ones?" Quatre teased.

 

Duo snorted with laughter, exposing his impassioned speech for the whining it actually was.

 

"Not all battles or missions involve MS," Colonel Une pointed out.  "Now pick up a bio-bomb and figure out how to dismantle it, _without_ causing a fatal leak that will poison everyone in the room."

 

Duo gulped.  "These are...practice bombs, right?"

 

Colonel Une grinned unpleasantly.  "Better not find out the hard way, Maxwell."

 

Duo made an exaggerated gesture of shock.  "Did you _hear_ that?  The Une called me 'Maxwell'!  Yay, I'm a person now!  Maybe if I work hard and kiss up to her enough, she'll promote me to 'Duo'!"

 

"Get to work, 02!" Une snapped, though Quatre was amused, and Hiiro and Trowa surprised, to note the blush flooding her face.

 

"Yes, ma'am," Duo said happily.  "Tell you what, next time I'll trade you a 'Lady' for a 'Duo,' what do you say?"  The Colonel only just managed to resist threatening the braided pilot with bodily harm.

 

Quatre frowned as he inspected the odd-looking little bomb.  It looked vaguely familiar....  "This is it!" he suddenly gasped.  " _This_ is what he threw at Rashid!"  The boy's face had gone white.  "He was gonna kill everyone with a bio-weapon!"

 

"Is there a problem, 04?" Colonel Une said impatiently.

 

Quatre frowned at her.  "Oh no, no problem.  Except that someone from the future once tried to kill my family."

 

There was a moment's silence.

 

"Colonel Une," Quatre asked softly, "are there Maganacs here in the future?  Bad ones?"

 

"I am unfamiliar with the term 'Maganacs.'  If you pilots continue to procrastinate on this lesson, you will be working right through your lunch break."

_'Lying again,'_ Trowa thought as Quatre gave up for the moment.  _'Trying to hold on to an unexpected windfall.  But the pilots are suspicious now, Une...you and the Alliance have given them no reason to trust you, either.'_   He couldn't help Quatre this time, though.  He didn't want Winner to get its hands on Quatre any more than the Alliance did.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Duo was convinced that the fencing lessons were Colonel Une's revenge for his earlier teasing.  "Since when are we gonna have to fend off enemy hordes with a _sword_?" he complained.

 

Wufei was inspecting the thin pseudo-weapon with an expression of acute disgust.  "Flimsy, useless thing," he proclaimed, and the next time anyone thought to look for him, he was gone.

 

A familiar unpleasant giggle drew everyone's attention to Dorothy, who stood arrayed in full fencing regalia.  "Hiiro-sama," she suggested, "would you do me the honor of demonstrating for Mr. Maxwell just how deadly fencing can be in the right hands?"

 

"Oh no, not again," one of the spectators muttered.

 

Hiiro wordlessly put the face mask on, and everyone hastily cleared the floor.  Dorothy and Hiiro took up their positions, faced each other for a moment, and then flew into action.

 

The match was fast-paced and intense, and Quatre was surprised and rather admiring to see Dorothy holding her own against the formidable Hiiro Yui.  When she actually swept the tip of her foil across his arm hard enough to tear through the heavy fabric, Quatre joined in the spatter of cheers and applause.

 

Dorothy, however, did not look at all pleased.  "There's no honor for either of us if you let me win," she said to Hiiro.  "What's the matter, Perfect Soldier?  Or perhaps not so perfect...have your past mistakes made you afraid to attack a woman, even if she is after your life?"

 

Hiiro's reply was wordless but savage.  There was a flash of blades, and within seconds, Dorothy was standing disarmed, with a broken foil thrust straight through the plastic of her face mask.  Unruffled by the jagged metal poised next to her cheek, she smiled triumphantly.  Hiiro slowly withdrew his ruined weapon and dropped it, then took off his face mask and glared at her.  "I will destroy anyone after my life.  Whether she is a woman is irrelevant."  He stalked away.

 

"Dude, she totally played you," Duo commented as Hiiro came back to where they were watching.  "Not that I know _how_.  Did you used to have a girlfriend or something?  That blows my mind, but hey, some girls go for the spy thriller assassin type!"

 

Hiiro had no idea what his fellow Gundam pilot was talking about, and would not have answered even if he had.

 

Dorothy, having replaced her damaged equipment, now leveled a foil at Quatre.  "Your turn, little lamb," she challenged, adding under her breath, "I've been waiting to sink my teeth into you for a long time."

 

"Me?" Quatre exclaimed, startled.  "But, I...."  He looked at the foil in his hand and realized that he didn't have a good excuse to refuse.  "Um...all right."

 

"Be careful," Trowa murmured to him.  "She has the same expression as a lion does when it's cornered."

 

Swallowing nervously, Quatre approached the fearsome girl.  He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to be beaten at her hands, either.  Neither option seemed right to him.  He lifted his sword in resignation.  "Well," he said, "let's go."

 

He had no form to speak of, and was completely ignorant of all the moves.  However, his eyes and feet were quick, so that he was able to fend off every attack even if he couldn't figure out how to score a hit without receiving a blow in return.

 

"New to this game, aren't you," she observed.  "That explains why you're still so sweet.  Well, I'm afraid innocence doesn't survive long in this--"

 

Her words were drowned in the sound of an explosion.  Quatre cried out as the surprise of the attack caused Dorothy to stumble, and her foil drove hard into the boy's side.  Alarms began blaring all over the base, and Hiiro and Trowa shed their fencing gear at once.

 

"What's going on?" Duo shouted at them.

 

"Enemy attack," Hiiro snapped.  "Hurry up, we've got work to do."

 

The Alliance base was in chaos.  Alarms droned on and on, warning lights flashed, and personnel were running in every direction.  Duo and Quatre struggled to keep up with Hiiro and Trowa, who strode with incongruous calm through the controlled chaos around them.

 

" _There_ you are," Colonel Une exclaimed when she saw them.  "Suit up.  05 is already being deployed."  There was no time to change into battle suits; the boys climbed into the Gundams as they were.  The eyes of the huge mecha glowed in anticipation.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

At first, it seemed like just another routine battle - the usual OZ Leos came swarming out, soon accompanied by those pesky Virgos that White Fang was having to learn to deal with.  Noin ordered her squadron to engage the Virgos.  She had time for no more than a brief smile when she noticed a commline from Zechs open, then close again without him saying anything.  She knew the struggle he always faced between keeping her safe and letting her put her considerable talents to use.

 

Virgos were tricky.  At first, it had been thought that only suicide runs could destroy them.  Noin, however, abhorred the thought of losing human life in battle (Zechs thought her quite naive in this regard), so she had determinedly figured out alternative tactics.

 

She and her squadron assumed previously assigned roles, some aiming to destroy the Virgos' small but incredibly effective shield generators, while the rest worked to repel enemy fire.  It was a slow method, but it worked.  Once the shields were gone, the Virgos were little less vulnerable than any other MS.  Quicker and more powerful, to be sure, but all of White Fang's soldiers were well-trained, so that on average, they matched the Alliance elite.

 

The only exception was a mysterious Alliance soldier identified only as 01.  Data on him was scanty, but twice before he had displayed alarming skill in battle, right up there on the level of Zechs.

 

Something was going on by the Alliance base that caught Noin's attention.  The ground was opening, revealing the fact that the MS practice field must have been concealing an enormous underground chamber, perhaps an MS hangar.  Something was emerging from the now-gaping hole, a large white-and-turquoise mech, of such an unusual appearance that Noin's eyes widened.

_'It can't be,'_ she thought.  Then, when the unidentified MS raised an arm to shoot a stream of fire into the sky, blowing up a trail of White Fang suits, Noin could no longer contain her horror.  "The Crisis!" she shouted.  "It's the return of the Crisis!"

_"No,"_ was Zechs's grim, unsurprised answer.  _"It is the dawning of the Crisis, not its return.  All units, remember your orders."_

 

He had known.  Of course he had known; why hadn't Noin understood herself?  No wonder he had wanted his army to avoid battle with any strange MS.  If the Alliance's new weapons were the monstrosities that had caused the Crisis, no one but Zechs stood a chance against them.

 

Sure enough, his suit blasted off to meet the new enemy, and as always, Noin temporarily stepped into his role as commander.  Regaining her composure, she called out, "All units, continue your attack on the Leos and Virgos, but keep an eye out for the unidentified MS.  Avoid its attacks at all costs, and do not, I repeat, _do not_ engage it for any reason.  Be alert for the retreat signal."

 

She was just about to head back into the fight when a private line opened from Walker.  _"Lieutenant Noin, how much information do we have on this new suit?"_

 

"Not enough," Noin grumbled.  "The whole point of this mission was to force the new MS out into the open and gather as much battle data as possible."

_"Understood."_

 

Noin frowned.  "Walker?  Walker!  Don't do anything stupid."  There was no reply.  Noin had no time to pursue the matter, since a swiftly approaching, Leo-flanked Virgo was blasting at her.

 

For another few minutes, it was almost business as usual again, though with an increased urgency of evasion and heightened anxiety for Zechs.  She couldn't help snatching glimpses of him whenever she could, where he was somehow holding his own against the lightning-fast monster mech.

 

She could tell he was taking damage, though.  That Taurus wouldn't last for long.  Noin realized, with a mixture of frustration and fear, that no matter how good Zechs was, there was just no way his full ability could be unleashed with a Taurus.  He simply could not win against this super-MS without a better suit, but she wasn't sure even a Virgo, if White Fang happened to have any, would have been sufficient.

_"Lieutenant Noin!"_ one of her men cried.  _"Below!"_

 

Noin immediately looked, by some instinct, to the place from which the new Alliance menace had emerged.  What she saw gave her the sudden terrifying feeling that White Fang would not survive this surely ill-fated battle.  "Zechs!" she shouted, "there's another one!  No--"  The words died in her throat as, one after the other, more and more of these fearsome MS seemed to pour out of that gaping hole in the earth.  "Four," she whispered in disbelief.  "Four, plus the one he's fighting - ZECHS!"

 

There was a burst of static from his commline, something that sounded like a grunt, then silence.  Noin tore her eyes away from the deadly MS to seek out Zechs's Taurus.  She gasped when she saw that he had lost his beam cannon.  Undoubtedly he had no concentration to spare for her - she was on her own.

 

Of course she was on her own; Zechs had trusted her with this, after all.  Should she order a retreat?  No, not yet.  They needed to hold out a little longer, for the sake of the mission.  And...if they retreated now, Zechs would be left on his own.

 

"All units," she ordered, "avoid the unidentified suits at all costs.  Forget about the Leos, your primary objective is to gather data on the new suits from afar."  The focus had changed - now it was just a matter of surviving and, when possible, watching.

 

Noin, noticing that the new MS had basic ID codes even if they lacked any registration info, began referring to the Crisis mecha by these numbers, and her men followed suit.  Most of the White Fang Tauruses had reverted to fly-mode, constantly moving in a too-frequently unsuccessful attempt to avoid the heavy fire from 03.  _"Lieutenant!"_ someone reported urgently, _"I've lost 02!"_

 

"What?" Noin said impatiently, and then realized that the 02 unit had disappeared from her radar as well.  "What the...."

 

She had long ago started tuning out the nearly constant sound of explosions.  However, an outburst of screams, abruptly cut off, alerted her to the fact that the most recent explosion had involved a group of her own men.  "What happened!?"

 

A shaky voice answered her.  _"That...he...five of them...that thing cut through five Tauruses with one blow!"_   The panic was evident in his voice when he screamed, _"This is suicide!"_

 

Noin, locating the speaker's suit, was enraged when she saw him take off, apparently trying to escape.  "Get back here, soldier!" she shouted.  Whether he would have returned or not, she never found out.  02, fresh from demolishing five of her men, raised its arm to fire a beam weapon from its wrist, blasting the deserter out of the sky.

_"We're not getting very far this way."_   Noin recognized Walker's voice.  _"Someone besides the commander needs to actually engage the enemy."_

 

"That's against orders," Noin snapped, too quickly.

_"That one with the sickles, 04,"_ he continued calmly.  _"It's heavily armored, but its attack patterns have been more hesitant than those of the others.  It might add more variety to the data Zechs is getting."_

 

At the sound of his name, Noin's eyes automatically sought him out.  To her surprise, he was now battling 01, both of them using beam sabers.  05 had moved to another area.  "Walker," she said, bringing her attention back with an effort.  "These things brought on the Crisis.  It's suicide to attack one without knowing what they're capable of."

 

The reply was quiet.  _"Lieutenant Noin.  You can't protect us forever.  This is a war."_

 

Tears suddenly brimmed in her eyes.  "Walker...."  Before she could think what to say to him, he was gone.  "Walker!"

 

Quatre had done a fairly good job so far of suppressing his Spaceheart, refusing to listen when it tried to tell him of pain and determination and fear and courage.  This was not the time.  For a while, he was able to plunge his weapons into enemies, focusing on their mechanical exteriors rather than the human faces within.

 

That didn't last.

 

Sandrock alerted him to an incoming threat.  Quatre was startled to see a White Fang Aries heading straight for him, the blasts from its cannon drumming harmlessly on Sandrock's Gundanium armor.  It was a marked contrast from the other enemy suits that were ducking and weaving, trying to keep their distance.  _'Is he crazy?'_ Quatre thought, startled.  _'Doesn't he realize he'll get killed for sure?'_

 

That was a mistake.  Thinking about the Aries pilot reminded Quatre that he was a person, with thoughts and feelings of his own.  "Stop it!" Quatre cried in frustration, and urged Sandrock forward.  The Gundam took two giant steps and clamped its sickles around the Aries, squeezing with all its strength.

 

There was a sudden noise of static from an incoming transmission.  _"So...Crisis pilot...show us what you're capable of."_

 

Quatre was horrified to realize that the strained voice was coming from within the crushed, violently sparking Aries.  He could no longer keep back the flood of alien emotion - his name was Walker and he was dying in great pain, but any fear was dwarfed by the sense of triumph and love, because he was doing this for the commander, for Zechs; Zechs was in awe of his opponent, but wracked with anguish for his men, who were being slaughtered ' _Why did I bring them here?  I knew this was a mistake, I should have come alone, and now they're dying,_ _Noin's going to die'_ and Noin screaming, _"Walker!  Walker, how could you do this!?"_ and Quatre realized he was screaming himself.

 

He pounded the controls to make Sandrock let go, but it was too late.  The Aries exploded, showering Sandrock with debris, and Quatre stared and stared with his eyes wide but unseeing.

 

Noin heard Zechs cry out Walker's name even as she did, but neither of them had time for grief.  Zechs had his hands full with the murderous white suit, whose fighting style seemed strangely familiar to him.

 

Noin, sick at heart, checked the positions of the Crisis machines again.  04 had stopped moving and 03 continued to spray the battlefield with bullets, but she could not detect the other two.  "Someone find 02 and don't let it out of your sight again!" she ordered.  "And where is--"  She gasped.

 

Wufei, annoyed that Hiiro had claimed the only enemy worth fighting, had gone in search of bigger game.  He had no interest in swatting at the little Aries and Taurus gnats, so he went farther afield and discovered the MS carriers, probably empty by now, circling around.  _Probably_ empty, but you never knew.

_"Lieutenant Noin, we're under attack!"_

 

"I _know_ 05 found the carriers.  You aren't defenseless, are you?  Hold him off 'til I can get there!"

_"Lieutenant Noin is taking on 05!"_ she heard someone say, and found a host of White Fang MS flanking her as she rose.

 

"What are you doing?" she snapped.  "I don't need an escort!"

_"Please accept backup, Lieutenant!"_ came the firm reply, and Noin realized it would waste valuable time for her to convince them to let her go alone.

_"Lieutenant Noin!"_   She was sick of hearing her name being called by panicked voices...it wasn't supposed to be like this.  _"05 is eluding our fire and we can't--  Aagh--!"_

 

Noin could only watch in horror as the first of the carriers exploded.  "No!"  She slammed on the thrusters to put on speed, shouting inanely, "Get away form them!"

 

05 turned when it heard her, but to her surprise, it didn't attack.  Then an unfamiliar voice, young but hard, crackled through her speakers.  _"Don't tell me there are women fighting.  No wonder White Fang is losing so badly."_

_"You will not speak that way about Lieutenant Noin!"_   Several Aries shot forward, only to be sliced to pieces.

 

"Stop!" she shouted, not sure if she meant the enemy or her loyal soldiers.

_"Stop?"_ one of her men repeated in confusion, _"But Lieutenant--"_   His words were cut off in a stream of dragonfire.

 

Howling, Noin recklessly charged 05 head-on, but it merely thrust its beam glaive into the leg of her Taurus and swung out with a powerful arm, connecting with the head of her MS.  She went spiraling to the ground, completely disabled.

 

Cursing, she slammed at the controls of her now-useless Taurus as the rest of the men who had come with her were slaughtered.  Only a few had time to even attempt any kind of attack, and nothing even dented 05's impossibly hard exterior.

 

Zechs's ragged voice came through White Fang's comm system.  _"Retreat.  All units, retreat at once."_

 

Then his Taurus shot forward, slamming into 01.  It thrust its beam saber into 01's face as it wrapped its limbs around the other suit - and exploded.

 

Noin's mouth was open in a horror too deep for words.  He had self-detonated.

 

The force of the explosion knocked 01 to the ground, its head scarred from the beam saber.  It did not rise again.

 

Noin's speakers were overloaded with deafening cries from the pitiful survivors of the White Fang force.  She dully switched off the channel.  In a few minutes, it would occur to her that her Taurus was equipped with a self-detonation device as well.

_"Noin-san."_   The voice, coming in as an external broadcast, sounded so young, almost supernatural in this moment.  Heavy with compassion and grief, the voice said softly, _"Tell them to retreat, Noin-san.  There has been enough death today."_

 

"He's dead," Noin told him, her voice calm, but completely unrecognizable in her own ears.

_"Please live, Noin-san.  He's waiting for you."_

 

Noin squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, then opened them again.  As she reached to re-open the line to White Fang, she was shocked to see that the source of the outside broadcast was 04, which hadn't moved since it had killed Walker.

 

Shakily, she once more gave the order to retreat, speaking to White Fang soldiers who were not in much better shape than herself.  "Fly," she whispered as she watched them finally head out.  "Fly far away."  As she slowly unbuckled to get out of her own suit, she could hear transmissions from the enemy being broadcasted to her from 04, and she was surprised in an uninterested way to find that they were people, rather than soulless monsters.

_"Cowards!  I thought this would be revenge, but there is no satisfaction in fighting weaklings!"_

_"Will you forget that, man?!  Hiiro and Quatre are down!"_

_"I'm out of bullets.  The battle is over, 05.  You'll get another chance."_

_"No!  NO!  Not again!  Trowa, how can you be so calm after all this!?"_

_"...04, understand that you have failed.  Don't be a liability.  And don't get worked up, 02.  It takes more than that to kill a Gundam pilot."_

 

Noin stumbled away, her eyes so full of tears that she could barely see where she was going.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It was Duo who reached Wing first and frantically stabbed at the controls to open the hatch.  "Hiiro!" he shouted as it creaked open, the metal joints groaning more loudly than usual.  "You still alive in there?!"

 

Hiiro lay limp in his seat, hands still curled around the controls, his eyes glazed.  Blood was trickling down his face.

 

"Hiiro!"

 

At the sound of Duo's voice, Hiiro's grip tightened.  Duo lurched and grabbed the edge of the cockpit to keep from falling as Wing attempted to rise.  "Cut it out, Hiiro!" Duo shouted.  "The enemy's gone, it's over!"  There was a pause, and then Wing settled back down in a cloud of dust.  Hiiro's head lolled as he lost consciousness entirely.

 

However, he was up again mere hours later, wobbling around menacingly.  He insisted on attending the meeting Une called with the Gundam pilots.

 

"Man."  Duo shook his head as he watched Hiiro stalk determinedly towards a chair and plop down onto it, rather too quickly.  "This guy is super-human."

 

"All five of us are super-human," Trowa pointed out.

 

"Well, then he's _super_ -super-human.  Would _you_ still be waltzing around after an explosion like that?!"

 

Trowa shrugged.  "Maybe."

 

Sally came marching in, armed with a load of medical paraphernalia and a stormy expression.  "Treize," she said firmly, "this young man is in need of medical attention.  If either you or he insists on his attendance at this oh-so-important meeting of yours, at _least_ let me do what I can in the meantime."

 

"I won't send you away," Treize assured her.

 

"I'm fine," Hiiro grunted, which did nothing to stop Sally from slapping sensors onto his head.

 

"No, you're not, as I'm sure these readings will prove.  But carry on, don't mind me."

 

Duo wondered how Hiiro could sit there, in the same clothes he'd been wearing for days, his eyes slightly unfocused, cables dangling from his forehead to the machine Sally was fussing with, and somehow not look silly at all.

 

"May we start now?" Colonel Une asked pointedly.  "Are there any other interruptions?"

 

"Yes," Duo said gleefully.  "I interrupt with the fact that we totally _rock_!  We sent those terrorists to hell!  When can we do it again?  That was the most fun I've ever had in my life!"

 

"It was a disaster," Colonel Une said flatly, bringing him up short.  "That is what this meeting is about.  You five ran off to fight without listening to orders.  You were supposed to use the Virgos in this battle - the Gundams were supposed to be kept secret for quite some time longer, but they have now been revealed much too early.  This is exactly what the enemy wanted.  They may have suffered heavy casualties, but that does not alter the fact that they accomplished their mission objective.

 

"Furthermore, both Gundam 01 and its pilot were significantly damaged - a self-detonation at such close range disrupted Gundam 01's sensory and movement systems.  That is unacceptable, considering the vast resources of both pilot and MS."

 

"Actually, Lady, I wouldn't be so hard on Hiiro," Treize put in.  "Zechs Marquise is quite a formidable opponent.  To tell the truth, I am glad we got off so easy."

 

Colonel Une seemed to falter for a minute.  "Yes...well...."  Then her face hardened again.  "The fact remains that our agents performed poorly on the battlefield.  05," she demanded, turning to him, "why did you disregard orders yet again and attack enemy carriers rather than the actual MS?"

 

Wufei shrugged.  "They were bigger.  Had tougher exteriors and more powerful weapons, despite their low agility.  I assumed the leaders would be hiding away where they could give orders in safety, not crawling around in actual combat with the rest of their vermin."

 

Treize chuckled.  "White Fang and its leaders are rather unusual."

 

"You assumed," Une said acidly to Wufei.  "And you completely ignored any enemy MS unless it was attacking you directly - you even allowed an enemy pilot to live, solely on the basis of her sex!"

 

Wufei's eyes blazed.  "I fight for justice.  My enemy is evil itself, which is strong.  I will not stoop to crushing insects out of pure spite, such a thing is a practice so empty I refuse to even call it a 'fight.'  As for that woman, it would have disgraced me to cut her down in her feminine weakness.  That would have been the act of a coward, not a warrior."

 

Colonel Une's voice was deadly when she hissed, "So you won't kill women because you think they pose no threat to you."

 

Wufei saw that she was preparing to attack him, no doubt thinking she could prove him wrong.  "Don't be a fool," he said coldly.  "I may not kill females, but I have no qualms about using my fists to correct erroneous thinking."

 

"Lady," Treize said sharply.  While he would have enjoyed watching her deal with almost anyone else, he knew it was pure folly for someone like Lady Une to challenge Chang Wufei.

 

A low voice suddenly spoke up.  "I want to go home."  All eyes turned to Quatre, whose head was bowed.  "This isn't...what I wanted."  He raised his head to reveal anguished eyes.  "I wanted to defend the innocent.  I wanted to fight for those who cannot protect themselves."  His hands clenched into fists.  "I did not come here to butcher people whose cause may very well be more righteous than our own!"

 

Treize and Colonel Une exchanged glances.  There was no telling what the mysterious 04 had picked up from his contact with White Fang.

 

Une turned to face him squarely.  "This brings us to the biggest problem of all.  04, you are no use to us if destroying an emotional enemy renders you disabled for the rest of the battle."

 

Quatre stared at her.  "Then maybe I don't want to _be_ of any more 'use' to you people.  I'm not Hiiro, or Trowa.  I won't be your killing machine."

 

"Mr. Winner," Treize said quietly.  "I understand your feelings, and the shock you must be suffering from having to shed blood for the first time.  I, too, carry a deep respect for human life."  He paused to make sure the boy had his full attention.  "That is why it is so beautiful to me when a person chooses to put his precious life at risk, to fight and possibly die for what he believes in.  You are right - every White Fang soldier that died today truly believed in what they fought for...just as our soldiers also perished for the cause of peace."

 

He shook his head.  "Perhaps it was too much for a person of your particular sensitivity to handle at first.  Perhaps you need time to adjust, to understand these new feelings.  Now is not the time to be distracted."  Slowly, almost testingly, he added, "It might not be a good idea for you to return to Otherside after all."

 

Quatre leaped to his feet.  "No!  _No!_   You can't keep me away from my family - they are the ones I'm fighting for!"

 

"Not fighting very well, are you?" Colonel Une pointed out coldly.  She drew her gun and aimed it at Quatre's head.

 

"Une!" Sally burst out, unable to keep quiet any longer.

 

"You are a liability," Colonel Une told 04.  "There is no reason to let you live."

 

She never expected Duo to suddenly lunge at her and wrest the gun from her hand.  That was probably a good thing - if she had seen him coming, her grip would have tightened instinctively, no doubt ending in broken fingers when he twisted the gun away.  As it was, they were red and sore, so that she rubbed at her bruised hand as she stared, incredulous, at Agent 02, who was now pointing her own gun at her.

 

"Leave Quatre alone," he ordered.

 

Then he heard a click, and half turned to see Hiiro, trailing loose cables, holding his own gun to Duo's head.  "Drop the weapon," 01 ordered tonelessly.

_'Well,'_ Trowa thought, watching.  _'This is interesting.'_

 

Duo clenched his teeth and made a movement as if to bring the gun around.

 

"Don't even try it, 02," Hiiro stated.  "You may be able to disarm a normal human, but with so little training, you are not even a match for me."

 

Duo's face looked thunderous, his eyes snapping with anger and frustration.  Slowly, he dropped the gun.  Then he sort of leaned over, slid his feet to the side - and melted away.

 

Hiiro took a step back in surprise, and there was a gasp from some of those watching.  "He just...disappeared!" Sally exclaimed.  Hiiro whirled, eyes frantically searching the edges of the room.

 

"Whoa!" Quatre suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide in a strange expression of delight.  "They can't see me!"  Then he clapped his hands to his mouth and shook his head hard, as if he was trying to shake the echoes out of it.

 

"What the--  Shut up, Quatre!" barked Duo's voice at the same time.  Hiiro lunged into the shadows where the voice had come from, and his hands closed on flesh; he dragged Duo back into the light.

 

"Let go of me," Duo snarled, twisting in his grip.  There was a scuffle, and the braided boy bit down hard on Hiiro's hand.  Hiiro, caught off-guard by the unprofessional move, loosened his grip just enough for Duo to twist free and disappear once more into the shadows.

 

"The lights," Colonel Une barked.  "Flood the room."

 

"No," Treize said, almost breathlessly.  "Don't."

 

Hiiro grunted as 02 flashed out of nowhere, dealt him a blow to the back of the head, and faded away again even as Hiiro quickly recovered and tried to face him.  The room was utterly silent.  Hiiro slowly turned around and around, searching for where his enemy would strike from next.

 

Then he noticed Wufei.  The Chinese boy's eyes were moving purposefully, as if tracking something.  _'He can see him,'_ Hiiro realized, and immediately whirled to lunge blindly in the direction Wufei was looking.

 

There was a yelp.  Hiiro's fist furiously connected with the wall, and then there was a sound like an explosion.  Hiiro instinctively covered his eyes to protect them from the clouds of flying dust and debris.  When he slowly opened them again, it was to find that almost the entire wall was _gone_ \- demolished, crumbling at the edges.  He was staring into someone's empty office next door.  The floor around him was a sea of broken wood, plaster, and insulation.

_'What...'_ he thought, disoriented.  _'How did I...?'_   He looked down to see Duo on the floor nearby, having only just managed to dodge, staring at Hiiro with his eyes and mouth wide open in shock.

_'So,'_ Trowa thought.  _'I'm not the only one.'_

 

Quatre raised his eyes to meet Treize's.  "Was any of this in the plan?" he asked quietly.

 

Treize smiled.  "No.  You young men are continuing to develop rather frightening potential.  I suppose it would be unwise to refuse your request, am I right?"

 

None of the boys bothered to answer.

 

"Very well, then.  Lady, please escort them to the Elevator."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It had been a long walk to the nearest town.  Night had fallen, and still she sat there, staring at the tabletop, replaying every nightmarish detail of that battle.  Could Zechs really be dead?  Could he possibly be _not_?  How could that enemy pilot know?

 

Noin had tuned out the sounds of the bright little café, so she didn't notice his entrance or approach until he stopped right next to her.  His voice, so tired but so welcome, drifted down to her ears.  "I have the feeling you haven't even called for a ride yet."

 

She leaped up and flung her arms around him, and they stood there for a long time, each taking comfort from the other's embrace.  Finally he sighed, and they slid back down into the chairs, hands clasped across the tabletop.

 

"How did you survive?" she whispered.

 

"I slipped out of the Taurus and detonated it externally," he answered dully.  "Did everyone escape?"

 

"Everyone who _could_ ," Noin answered bitterly.  Then she gasped at the look on his face.  "Oh, Zechs, no, I'm not blaming you at all!  I'm angry with _myself_ , for being so selfish and stupid.  I should have ordered a retreat long before, but I...I was...."  Ashamed, she dropped her face.  "I didn't want to leave you," she whispered.

 

"It's not your fault," he said gruffly.  "It's mine.  I was an arrogant fool to lead my men into such a worthless, risky venture.  I underestimated the enemy, and those who loved me died for it."

 

"Zechs--"

 

"I'm won't play this, Noin," he cut her off.  "I don't want to spend this time with you in some ludicrous argument over who deserves more blame."

 

Noin bowed her head and said nothing more.

 

After a while he sighed again.  "...Noin, I'm sorry."

 

"Please don't apologize to me," she whispered, because she knew he would not want to hear her own apologies.

 

After a moment, he lifted her bruised knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly.  Against her will, a smile spread her mouth, and he smiled to see it.  "Maybe you should drink that," he suggested.

 

Noin eyed the cup of coffee that had been sitting in front of her for hours.  "It's gone disgusting by now.  I only bought it so they would let me sit here in peace."

 

There was a pause.  Then he suggested, hopelessly, "We don't have to go back.  We can just walk away...find somewhere quiet, where I will not be recognized as the killer of my own men."

 

She met his eyes, her expression hard.  This time it was her turn to be ruthless.  "You must go back, Zechs.  You must continue to fight, and eventually you must ask them to go into battle for you again."

 

He knew she was right.  He had no time to luxuriate in self-disgust.  Rallying himself, Zechs suddenly clenched his fingers and rose from the table.  "You're right.  Let's go.  I called Howard earlier, he should be meeting us in the square in twenty minutes."

 

She stood up as well, keeping hold of his hand and holding his gaze with her own.  "Together?" she questioned, though her tone left no room for doubt.

 

"Together," he agreed.

 

_To be continued...._


	10. Act 10 - Returning

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 10 - Returning**

_"Hiiro, I have a mission for you.  Take this.  The next time you use the Elevator, plug it into the DQH port.  The coordinates are already set, someone else will take over from there."_

_"...Does Treize know about this mission, Dr. J?"_

_"Heh heh.  No, Hiiro.  But I think he would approve all the same."_

_"...."_

_"What, you don't trust me?"_

_"I know what this device is.  It's not supposed to exist."_

_"Which is why we five have kept it secret from the Alliance, from Treize, even the rest of OZ.  You, also, will keep its existence secret...because your life depends on it, Hiiro Yui."_

_"...Understood.  Mission accepted."_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Trowa was to stay in the future to continue his duties as an Alliance agent.  Hiiro, however, took the odd initiative of volunteering to escort the recruits back to Otherside.

 

He said nothing as he programmed the time machine, and the other boys did not speak either, though Duo hummed a little as he experimented with making parts of his body disappear when he moved them out of direct light.

 

"Stop that, Maxwell," Wufei said impatiently.  "There is not enough room in here for your horseplay."

 

"Horseplay?  _Horseplay?_   This is serious stuff, man!  I can, like, turn invisible!  I'd like to see _you_ try that, Wu-man!"

 

"Do not call me that," Wufei growled.

 

Hiiro held up a hand to quiet them.  "We're moving."  He flipped the last switch, and the Elevator suddenly hummed to life.  Intense nausea washed over them, but it lasted only a moment.  The doors were already sliding open as the travel sickness faded.

 

Someone was waiting for them.  Before any of them could react, a strong arm had reached inside and dragged Hiiro out by the shirtfront.  Duo, Quatre, and Wufei automatically burst out after him, then stopped cold when they saw the face of the mysterious young man.

_It was Hiiro_.

 

A _second_ Hiiro, standing next to his surprised-looking counterpart.  His hair was shorter and tidier, he was taller and he wore different clothes, but he was shockingly unmistakable.

 

"What the heck is going on?!" Duo exploded.

 

Relena, of all people, was out there as well, looking on anxiously.  She hesitantly raised her hand to touch the other Hiiro's sleeve, and he turned to look at her.  "I'll be back," he said quietly.

 

Hiiro suddenly strode forward and glared intently into the face of his double.  "Was Dr. J telling the truth?" he questioned in a low voice.

 

The other Hiiro grinned, which was shocking in itself.  "Yes," he murmured back.  "Thank you, 01."  Something about that seemed to amuse him, but his face turned grim again when he faced the Elevator.

 

"Hiiro!"  Relena ran up and seized him just as he was stepping inside.  "Don't leave me behind," she begged.  "Please, take me with you!"

 

For one frozen moment, he stared at her as if suddenly seeing her more clearly than usual.  Then he pulled her close and pressed his lips hard to hers.  Before she could even respond, he pushed her away and stepped backwards into the Elevator, his eyes fixed on her face.  "I love you," he told her, just as the doors slid shut.

 

Relena turned away, pressing her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound of her weeping.

 

"That--" Duo was stammering, "That was - Hiiro?  From, what, the future?!  Where the heck are we!?  _When_ the heck are we, whatever!"

 

Before anyone could answer (or make it clear that they weren't going to), the Elevator whooshed open again.  The other Hiiro stood slumped against the back wall, one sleeve bloody, but he smiled when he looked up and saw Relena.  "I bet you've been crying the entire time," he teased.

 

Relena whirled back around, shrieking indignantly, "It's only been a few _seconds_ , you jerk!"  But she was laughing through the last of her tears as she ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck; they were kissing passionately as they stumbled out of the Elevator together.

 

"Quatre," Duo said faintly, "pinch me.  I think I'm having a really psycho dream."

 

Quatre laughed and looked over at Hiiro - _their_ Hiiro, - who was staring at the joyful couple with an expression of utmost astonishment and horror.

 

Relena broke away to ask breathlessly, "Did you do it?"

 

"How can you ask me that here?" he murmured, his eyes sliding to Duo, Quatre, Wufei, and his younger self.  He grinned that shocking grin again.  "I think we're scaring them.  We should leave."

 

Relena took heart from the good humor that seemed to be spilling from his every gesture and expression.  Her eyes were shining as she looked over at the boys as well.  "Duo...Quatre, Wufei...."  The other Hiiro squeezed her arm warningly, and smiled.  Then the two of them walked out of the building, hand in hand.

 

When the boys finally got enough of their wits together to get back into the Elevator to continue their journey, Hiiro noticed that the device Dr. J had given him was gone.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"That was probably the worst speech I have given in the history of White Fang," Zechs grumbled, falling into a chair in his private office.

 

Noin shut the door as she followed him in, then came over to massage his shoulders comfortingly.  "It was a wonderful speech," she said truthfully.  "Exactly what the men needed to hear."

 

Zechs's lips tightened.  "Flattery does not become you, Noin."

 

She grinned and shook her head, choosing not to press the issue.

 

Silence fell, and after a while Zechs suddenly leaned forward, braced his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with his hands.  He sat like that until there was a knock on the door.

 

"Enter," Zechs called despondently.  However, when he saw the old friend who was ushered in, he straightened up at once with a pleased smile.  "Otto.  You're back."

 

The man smiled and bowed his head in greeting.  "Commander, it is good to see you and Lieutenant Noin again."

 

"What news do you have for me?" Zechs asked, as Noin offered their friend a chair.

 

Otto was solemn as he said, "They tell me that OZ has finally released the Crisis mecha."

 

"Yes," Noin confirmed softly when Zechs didn't answer.

 

Otto nodded.  "They are called Gundams, because they are made from the alloy of something called Gundanium."

 

Zechs and Noin stared at him in surprise.  "You have information on these MS," Zechs realized.  He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes bright and intense.  "Make your report."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"I don't think I'm up for this," Quatre said dismally as he and Duo trudged toward the apartments.  "Up for what?" Duo wanted to know.

 

Quatre waved his hand vaguely.  "The Maganacs.  They're gonna kill me.  I didn't realize we'd be gone this long."

 

"It was only a few days," Duo pointed out.

 

"You don't know my family," Quatre said tiredly.  He was not used to walking this far.  If he wasn't trying to put off his reunion with the Maganacs, he could have called for a ride.  Speaking of which....  "Oops.  I forgot I owe Ahmad for banging up his car."

 

"Huh?  You can afford to pay for car repairs?  What, you got a job or something?"

 

Quatre shrugged.  "Stock market.  Rashid started me on it when I was just a kid.  I've actually got quite a bit of money saved up somewhere, though I don't have access to a lot of it since I'm underage."

 

"Are you for real, man?" Duo said disgustedly.  "I bet you freaking pay your own bills and everything, and it's still just a drop in the bucket for you."

 

"Would you like to trade, Duo?" Quatre said with uncharacteristic sharpness.  "Take the voices in my head while you're at it.  Maybe _you'd_ be able to slaughter a man even when you know exactly how he feels while you're doing it."

 

"Maybe I _could_ ," Duo returned hotly.  "Maybe I _would_ , if it meant I'd still have a home and buddies and the only grown-ups who ever cared about me!"

 

They were on the grounds by then, and some kid had seen them.  Maganacs came pouring out, surrounding Quatre with their delighted shouting and insistent questions.  Quatre felt enveloped in the blanket of their anxiousness and excitement; their voices blended together in his mind as he gazed gratefully on their familiar faces.  Then he sighed and dropped his head, waiting for it to be over.

 

"Everyone, back away!"  The Maganacs respectfully made room for their leader, who loomed in front of Quatre and crossed his arms.  "You should not have left without us, Quatre-sama.  You don't look well.  What did they do to you?"

 

Quatre raised his eyes to meet Rashid's and answered softly, "I was made to do nothing I did not agree to.  Please don't worry about me, I'll be fine once I've had some rest."

 

"Quatre-sama," Rashid said intensely, "where did you go?  Why are you being so secretive?"

 

"I...I'm not...."

 

Rashid said nothing, and Quatre was forced to trail off, unable to lie to their faces.  After a moment, Rashid said quietly, "Was it Winner Corp.?  Have they found you at last?"

 

Quatre exchanged a confused look with Duo.  "Winner Corp.?"

 

At his obvious confusion, Rashid's face changed.  "No," he whispered.  "It cannot be that the Alliance got their hands on you, did they?!"

 

"Wh-What?"

 

The startled, guilty look on the boy's face was confirmation enough.  The other Maganacs were murmuring, reaching out protectively for their beloved young lord.

 

Rashid sighed heavily.  "Quatre-sama, we need to tell you some things."

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  Zechs's speech was a little private joke; it refers to the speech he made just after Operation Daybreak in the anime.  His comment after signing off was originally (I am told), "That was terrible."  However, the English dub and even the subtitles on the official DVD changed it to, "Not bad, if I do say so myself."  Quite a discrepancy there.


	11. Act 11 - Explaining

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 11 - Explaining**

 

_"We are from the future, Quatre-sama, as I am sure you have guessed by now.  I will not make excuses:  we kidnapped you when you were an infant, because we forty of the Winners' Maganac Corps would not allow you to be used for the evil purposes that were planned."_

 

My father, Rashid...you didn't come out and say it, but I know it was my father who planned to use me for needless war.

_"We brought you here to keep you safe, but now the Alliance has found you.  We will have to leave our homes here, but we knew such a thing would have to happen sooner or later.  We have been preparing for a long time."_

 

The Alliance....

_"They...they told you that you were developed in their labs?  Oh Quatre-sama, that was a lie.  You are a son of the Winner family.  When we left that place, you were the only son, their heir.  To us, you are as a prince.  Forgive us for hiding the truth from you for so long.  We had hoped you would never have to put your hand to the controls of a mobile suit."_

 

Still so many questions....

 

"Hey!  You spacin' out, man?"

 

Quatre looked up, startled, to find that he had been standing vacantly in the middle of his kitchen for who knew how long.  Duo had awakened and seemed aglow with energy.  "Dude, you wanna go down to the hangar again?  And that's just the one they built _here_ ; I can't believe there's _forty_ of those MS things hidden around the city!"

 

"We've got school today," Quatre reminded him.

 

Duo gave him a confused look.  "School?"  He blinked.  "You mean you're gonna go to _school_ after all this?"

 

Quatre rubbed the back of his head uneasily.  "It just...it feels normal.  You know?"

 

Duo opened his mouth to make some smart remark, then closed it again silently.  The severing of all ties had left him with nothing to hold on to except for the excitement of his new life.  Even so, he realized he could understand how Quatre felt.  "Yeah," he finally said.  Then with a teasing smile, "Yeah, I'm missing advanced calculus something awful.  Let's go, man!"

 

Quatre smiled and went to find his uniform.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Wufei had found the flower growing, like a promise, just by the steps of the back porch.  When he had come out for his morning practice he had not noticed it, folded up tight as it slept, looking like just another weed.  But when the sun had risen and he had turned to go in, there it was, delicate and flushed a deep, vivid pink.

 

Meilan had hated pink.

 

Wufei picked it for her anyway.

 

Inside, he gently laid the little wildflower by Meilan's photograph, which was draped with a black ribbon.  As he gazed at her face, with its passionate smile and mischievously twinkling eyes, the embers of grief and fury he had been nursing seemed to burst back into flame.  The smell of the incense, burning on the table next to the picture, became bitter in his nostrils.  "Meilan," he whispered, his hands curling into fists.  "Nataku...."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Young man," a teacher barked at Duo in the hallway.  "Are you a student here?"

 

"Of course I am," he said indignantly.

 

"Why aren't you wearing the school uniform?" the teacher demanded.

 

Before Duo could make some hot retort that would likely get him kicked out, Quatre intervened.  "Please, ma'am," he spoke up, polite and assured.  "My friend recently lost his family, and he continues to wear this clothing out of respect for their memory.  Please allow him to wear the sign of his mourning."

 

The teacher's eyes widened, and she stepped back.  "You're...the Maxwell boy," she realized.

 

"Yeah," Duo said, glaring.

 

"I...I'm so sorry," she faltered.  After an awkward moment, she hurried away, red-faced.

 

Quatre looked over at his friend.  "Duo?" he said softly.  "Are you all right?"

 

Duo, who stood very still with his long bangs hiding his eyes, did not answer for a while.  Finally he whispered, "I shouldn't be the only 'Maxwell boy.'  There were so many of us.  Squall and the others...."  He swallowed and raised his head.  "Not Squall," he murmured, almost to himself.  "Leon.  I should never have started calling him that."  His eyes stung so badly he could barely see.  "I should have...I should have--"  He broke off when he realized that Quatre had covered his own face and was weeping quietly.  "Cut it out!" Duo snapped.

 

"I can't help it!" Quatre sobbed, scrubbing angrily at his face.  "It's like...."  He faced Duo squarely, his voice unwavering despite his wet eyes.  "It's like your grief has nowhere to go, so it's _pushing_ at me, trying to get out...don't you think your loved ones deserve a few of your tears, Duo?'

 

Anger was rising up in him, and Duo let it, because it seemed to burn away the traitorous stinging from his eyes.  He grabbed a fistful of Quatre's shirt and choked out, "Duo Maxwell - does - not - _cry_."  Then he turned away and walked a few steps, running one hand thoughtfully against the wall.  "I wonder if I can, like, blend into the background," he wondered loudly.  "Like one of those lizard things.  Yeah, that would be so _cool_!"

 

"Duo," Quatre said, hearing the false brightness in his friend's voice, but Duo took no notice.  "So, like, if I stand against the wall like this...."  He pressed his back against the wall, closed his eyes, and tried to slide into hiding.

 

"I can still see you," Quatre told him.

 

"Aw man,"  Duo complained.  Then he noticed how the open door of an empty classroom formed a shadow with the wall in a narrow little triangle.  Grinning, he squeezed into the space.

 

Quatre stared.  He could see no trace of the other boy.  "Duo?"  There was no answer.  "Duo!"  There was only silence, and Quatre tensed as he stared harder and harder at that seemingly empty space.

 

Duo suddenly burst out, laughing, sending the door banging shut.

 

"Duo!" Quatre yelled, startled despite himself.

 

"Gotcha," Duo said gleefully.  "Though it woulda been better if I'd had room to sneak out and jump you from behind."

 

"Can you not...do that trick of yours at school?" Quatre pleaded.  "It's creepy."

 

"So's your mind-reading thing creepy," Duo retorted.

 

"Emotion-reading."

 

"Whatever.  Let's get to the lab already."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

They had wasted too much time.  The lunch period was almost over when they reached the computer lab, and the teacher wouldn't let them in.  Duo attempted to charm her into relenting, but he had only whined his way through a minute or so when Wufei came sauntering out of the lab.

 

"Hey!" Duo exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!"

 

Wufei gave him an annoyed look and continued on.  Duo grinned and trotted after him.  "You're supposed to be like, 'Of course it's me,' or 'Yeah, what of it?' or something," he prompted.

 

"Go away."

 

Duo imitated the harsh sound of a buzzer.  "Wrong!  Try again."

 

Wufei rounded on him, but before he could say anything, Quatre asked quickly, "What were you doing in the lab?"

 

Wufei shifted his attention to the blonde boy and studied him a while before answering.  "I was researching information on Winner Corp.," he said slowly, and noted the way Quatre stiffened.

 

"You were?" Duo said interestedly.  "Yeah, turns out that Quatre's, like, their heir or something."

 

"Winner Corp.," Wufei continued, watching Quatre closely, "has been mentioned during our time with the Alliance.  White Fang is not our only enemy."

 

"Hey," Duo said uneasily, looking back and forth between them.  This was reminding him too much of last night, when the Maganacs had realized who he was and pulled guns on him.

_"No, don't!  Rashid, make them stop!"_

_"Quatre-sama...."_

_"Quatre-sama, get away from him!  He's an Alliance spy, or an assassin!"_

_"Hey!  I am_ not _a spy,_ or _an assassin!"_

_"Quatre-sama, please move!"_

_"NO!  You can't hurt him, he's my guest-- and my friend."_

_"Put your weapons away."_

_"Captain?!"_

_"Put them away, I said!  Quatre-sama.  How can you know this young man poses no danger to you?  The Alliance who created him is our enemy."_

_"You guys are crazy...."_

_"Rashid, please.  Duo only discovered his origins a few days ago, he can't be a plant."_

_"Yeah, I'm not gonna be watching_ my family get killed _just to...just...."_

_Silence.  "...Quatre-sama, he may stay here one more night, but after that, we will no longer have him in such close proximity to you."_

_"Um...Duo--"_

_"Whatever, man, whatever.  Guess it's not like I don't have a place to crash; I'm an Alliance man now, right?"_

 

"Hey," Duo said again.  "I know that Winner's like this evil company that's trying to take over the world or something, but--"

 

"They started manufacturing mobile suits for profit," Quatre put in defensively.  "Don't exaggerate, Duo."

 

"Yeah, but didn't your big captain say that _you_ were supposed to pilot them?  Weren't the Winners planning on using you and their MS to strong-arm people into doing what they wanted?"

 

"He _also_ said that they got the idea from the OZ.  I'm younger than the rest of you by several months - you four were the ones originally meant for strong-arming."

 

"But the Alliance was created in the first place to _stop_ Winner--"

 

"After which they got corrupted and became just as bad--"

 

"What are you arguing about?" Wufei demanded.  Duo and Quatre stepped back from each other and turned to look at him a little sheepishly.

 

"Someone told us some things last night," Quatre explained.  "Wufei...I'm thinking we should steer clear of the Alliance.  They may have started out with good intentions, but by A.C. 180, they had become exactly the kind of force they were trying to stop.  They practically own half the world now - in A.C. 195, I mean, - and...."  He took a deep breath before continuing.  "And, well, my father's company owns the other half."

 

"MS," Wufei mused.  "There isn't a trace of information on them these days.  All I could find was about natural resources."

 

"Two hundred years is a long time for things to change," Quatre sighed.

 

"Argh!"  Duo shook his head so hard that Quatre had to duck his swinging braid.  "I hate thinkin' about this stuff, man.  I wish I could just pilot Deathscythe and not have to worry about stupid politics."

 

"But it's important," Quatre put in.  "This is affecting our lives, Duo.  Our _worlds_.  We need all the information we can get, so that we can make wise decisions rather than mistakes."

 

Duo flapped his hand dismissively.  " _You_ do the paperwork, then.  I'll take care of the grunt work."

 

Wufei rolled his eyes.

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  Two hundred years _is_ a long time for a corporation to be around, so I'm thinking that maybe they're a corporation on Otherside, and kind of evolve into some other kind of organization in the future.  Also, to clarify, OZ was just a science-focused organization at first, and Winner heard about their experiments that would eventually lead to the Gundam pilots.  The Alliance was formed a little later, and sort of absorbed OZ.


	12. Act 12 - Stealing

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 12 - Stealing**

 

What had happened in White Fang's last battle had a zero percent chance of recurring this time.  The most that could go wrong was that the organization would have a single casualty.

 

Zechs did not take into account the fact that he himself was so valuable to White Fang that if it somehow lost him as its leader, it would fall apart.  All he was thinking of was the mission, and the fact that he was planning to carry it out, with either success or failure, completely alone.  He was _not_ going to lose any more soldiers to his mistakes.

 

Zechs could not have known, but stealing the Gundam prototype was going to be easier than ever on this night, since it happened to be the exact same date as an attack on the Alliance by Winner Corp.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Quatre pried his eyes open to find that he was being shaken awake by an intruder in his room.  "Argh!"  In an instant, he had rolled out of bed and was wildly brandishing the lamp from his bedside table.  "Who are you!?"

 

A familiar unpleasant laugh tumbled out of the darkness.  "Forgive me for disturbing you, Sir Quatre, but I'm afraid your leave of absence is to be cut short.  You are urgently needed back in A.C. 195."

 

"I'm...what?" Quatre mumbled, still disoriented from sleepiness.

 

Dorothy tossed her luxuriously long tresses.  "Duo-sama returned to us earlier this evening, but we now find ourselves under attack, and I have been ordered to retrieve our missing agents.  Please come with me, Sir Quatre.  Wufei-sama is waiting for us in the car."

 

Quatre's eyes narrowed.  "I don't know enough about what's going on, and I don't promise to fight for you again.  But I'll come - on the condition that I am allowed to bring one of my men."

 

Dorothy tapped her chin thoughtfully, then smiled.  "Well.  As long as I am disobeying orders, I might as well grant your request.  Tell your captain that he must dress in a manner that will cause as little suspicion as possible."

 

Quatre blinked, the only indication of his unease that an Alliance member knew so much about his family.  Dorothy had obviously known that he would choose Rashid to accompany him, but now was not the time to pursue the matter.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It was difficult to tell how the battle was going, even from the control tower where all the information was coming in.  On the central deck, Lady Une watched the monitors tensely, noting that despite the commendable efforts of Gundams 01, 02, and 03, Winner's superior numbers were causing problems.

 

"Lady Une, may I have your attention for a moment?" came Dorothy's voice from behind her.

 

"It's about time," the colonel snapped as she turned, then nearly choked with dismay.  The blonde woman stood confidently before her, flanked not only by Agent 05, but by 04 and a burly stranger as well.

 

"What have you _done_?" Lady Une demanded.  "Your orders were to bring 05 only!"

 

Quatre and Wufei shot Dorothy sharp looks, but she simply smiled and flicked a lock of hair back over her shoulder.  "Of course, Lady Une.  It is quite understandable, after Quatre Raberba Winner's performance in his first battle, that his superiors would have a lack of confidence in his abilities.  However, I found myself quite unable to miss the chance of seeing how Sir Quatre will handle himself in this particular situation."

 

"Dorothy," Lady Une hissed through gritted teeth, "it is imperative that 04 remains Otherside during this battle, do you understand?  Take him back at once!"

 

"What is the problem, Lady Une?" Quatre asked sweetly.  "Do you think I'll break down again if I have to face White Fang?  Or is this a different enemy, one that might damage my 'delicate sensibilities' if I fight them?"

 

Rashid said nothing, wishing to draw as little attention to himself as possible, but he was glad to see that his young master had drawn the same conclusion.

 

Lady Une narrowed her eyes.  "How much did you tell him, Dorothy?"

 

"Why, nothing at all!" Dorothy laughed.  "I am afraid I'm not even sure what you're referring to."

 

Lady Une turned to two of her subordinates and swept out her arm in a commanding gesture.  "Take him back at once.  Make sure 04 is delivered safely to his home, then report back here.  Dorothy, be assured that Treize-sama will hear of this."

 

"Of course," Dorothy replied, bowing her head in a show of submission.  Then she turned to leave, winking at Quatre as she walked past him.

 

"I'm going to suit up," Wufei announced.  "These squabbles do not concern me."  However, they did interest him, so he stored away the new bits of information to think over when he next had time.

 

The two boys parted ways in the corridor outside.  Almost as soon as Wufei was out of sight, Rashid and Quatre exchanged glances.  Then, without a word, they turned on their escorts, and seconds later the two men were unconscious on the floor.

 

"I'll take care of them," Rashid assured him.  "Go to your Gundam, Quatre-sama."

 

Quatre nodded, looking determined.  "I will."  He had only just turned to leave when Rashid suddenly caught his arm.  Quatre looked back at him in surprise.  "Rashid?"

 

The captain sighed.  "Quatre-sama...you do realize what you're facing, don't you?"

 

Quatre nodded solemnly.  "My father's men...the Maganacs of the future.  Your former comrades.  Don't worry, Rashid.  I may not agree with what my father is doing, but I am no Alliance man, either."

 

"Then go."  Rashid nodded encouragingly, then released Quatre's arm and affectionately pushed him away.  Quatre smiled back, pausing to salute before running off.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Argh!" Duo yelled.  "Where'd you _come_ from, jerk?"  He swept his scythe at the weird little MS, winced against the subsequent explosion, then urged Deathscythe back to its feet.

_"Keep a better eye out, 02,"_ Hiiro's voice droned from the commlink.

 

"The thing came outta the _ground_!" Duo yelled back in frustration.  "Was that even an MS?  It looked like a dang robot-snake!"

_"Not exactly,"_ came Trowa's calm answer.  _"Winner's mecha are specialized for surprise attacks and heavy defense.  Adjust your fighting style.  What worked against White Fang won't necessarily have the same effect here."_

 

"Grrr!"  Duo hacked away machines that were swarming him, many of them too small or moving too oddly to be controlled by internal pilots.  It was frustrating having to expend attention he didn't have to spare, watching the ground or other unexpected avenues of attack.

 

Like behind him, for instance.

 

"Incoming!" he realized, too late to do anything about it.  "Hang on, buddy!" he cried to Deathscythe, squeezing his eyes shut for impact.

_Fwsssh._

 

Duo cracked an eye open.  "Huh?"  Cannons sounded more like "boom" than "fwsh."  He called up rearview visuals, and his face lit up.  "Wuffie!  Hey, thanks for gettin' my back, man!"

 

Gundam 05's dragon-arm moved to target Deathscythe.  _"Do not call me nicknames, Maxwell, unless_ you _want to taste Nataku's fire next."_

_"We don't have time for this,"_ Trowa said at once.  _"05, get to point A-24, there's a defense hole there.  02, back to work."_

 

"Fine, fine," Duo huffed.  "Slave drivers.  Where's Quatre, then?"

_"Not coming,"_ Wufei answered shortly.  _"We_ are _fighting Winner, after all."_

 

Duo's mouth dropped open as the connection suddenly zinged in his brain.  "Oh yeah!  Oh, man...."

_"Don't get sluggish!"_ Hiiro bellowed at him, but too late.  Deathscythe was felled again by an intense burst from a laser cannon.

 

Duo cursed as he strained at the controls.  Deathscythe was unable to obey the command to rise, since it was pinned down by heavy fire.  "This sucks!" Duo howled, his face smashed against the front panel.  "Someone needs to re-design these useless safety straps!"

_"Maganac Corp., cease all aggressive activities at once."_

 

Duo blinked.  "Huh?"  Suddenly able to lift his head, he quickly ordered Deathscythe to rise, since the enemy fire had let up.  "Yo, Quatre!  That you, man?"

 

The other pilot did not reply directly, but one glance at the commlink assured Duo that it was indeed Gundam 04 broadcasting the transmission.

 

New voices came through the speakers.  _"Quatre-sama!"_

_"Could it really be...?!"_

_"This is Quatre Raberba Winner.  I order all units, Winner and Alliance, to cease battle at once."_

_"You have no authority here, 04!"_ Lady Une's voice came booming from the control tower.

 

Duo winced, though he was grinning as he did so.  "Watch it, Quat, sounds like you got the Lady hoppin' mad."

 

Sandrock whirled and thrust a sickle directly at the control tower, its tip poised literally inches away from the glass.  _"Lady Une.  Call off the MS at once and allow my men to retreat.  Otherwise, I cannot answer for the consequences."_

_"_ Your _men?!"_ she gasped indignantly.  _"You are Alliance property, 04!  Your behavior is completely out of line--"_

 

At that moment, Sandrock raised its thick shield in front of the control tower.  The gesture was just in time to block a stream of bullets from one of the Maganac suits.

_"Quatre-sama!"_ the pilot gasped, tossing aside the gun his MS had been firing.  _"Quatre-sama, forgive me!  But that woman, she said--!"_

_"Your orders..."_ Quatre's voice came slowly, the strain in it evident, _"...were to cease all aggressive activities."_

 

By this time, all the Maganacs who were not fighting for their lives had stopped.  Even Duo made no move, reluctant to attack people in such a situation.  Then he noticed that Heavyarms was continuing to fire.  "Hey!  Trowa!  Cut it out, man!  Can't you see what's going on?"

 

03 didn't bother to answer.  Duo did notice, however, that he made no move towards the rebellious 04.

 

01 had no such qualms.  "Hiiro!" Duo cried, but too late.  Gundam Wing came crashing into Sandrock seemingly out of nowhere.  Sandrock floundered, struggling to regain its footing, but Wing gave it no time.  The beam saber was out and slashing down, only just blocked by the slightly battered shield.  "HIIRO!" Duo shouted again, but he might as well have kept silent for all the notice 01 took of him.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The plan had been to sneak in, load up the MS, and sneak out again with it (hence the fact that he had bound up his hair and was now wearing a stolen mechanic's uniform).  However, Zechs had been unprepared for the sheer beauty of the machine.  He stood there gazing at it for a good five minutes, taking in every sleek silver line of it with awe and growing respect.

 

"You are...truly the forebear of the Gundams," he whispered.  Then he cursed when he found himself obliged to wipe away a line of drool sliding from the corner of his mouth.  What was he, a little boy in a toy shop?  It was a good thing he had already knocked out anyone who would have been around to witness.

 

Shaking his head, Zechs got back to work.  First he had to back up the MS transport truck, then pilot the Tallgeese itself just long enough to lay it down on the truck bed.  So he slid into the cockpit, strapped in, shut the hatch, and familiarized himself with the controls.

 

What happened after that was a painful blur, it was only later that he was able to remember it with any clarity.  He didn't notice it happening as he flipped switches and adjusted settings.  It came upon him first as a vague restlessness, then grew more insistent.  Zechs found himself _really_ wishing he didn't have to go tamely back home...it was a shame to be piloting such a beautiful MS without getting the chance to try it in combat.  For goodness' sake, he was on an enemy base!  You would think he'd be able to shoot up bad guys, right?

 

Bad guys...the people on this base were...dangers to White Fang...to Noin....

 

Zechs's teeth suddenly clenched and his grip on the controls tightened.  He had to find his enemies.  What was he doing, skulking in here like a spy?  He was a warrior.  He should be out there, fighting.

 

Tallgeese rose to its feet, eyes gleaming, and shot away, leaving both the truck and the mission forgotten.

 

He was greeted almost at once by Leos, but after only one or two slashes, he grew impatient with what seemed to him like a total lack of resistance.  It was like using a sword to hack apart roaches; where were his real enemies?

 

The MS alerted him to much more interesting targets over by a control tower.  Zechs eagerly accelerated in that direction, and was surprised by the sudden twanging in his chest.  This machine far surpassed any of White Fang's MS in speed, strength, and reaction time - Zechs's body was not used to the increased pressures.  Disgusted by this weakness, Zechs stubbornly pushed harder on the controls.

 

Hiiro saw Zechs coming and turned from Sandrock just in time to intercept the Tallgeese.  Both suits were equipped with beam sabers, and both pilots were inclined to use them.

 

"Who _is_ that?" Duo exclaimed.  "Where'd he come from?  He one of your guys, Quatre?"

_"I don't..._ think _so,"_ Quatre started to answer, but Trowa's voice cut in firmly over theirs.

_"Home Base, this is 03.  The Lightning Baron has entered the field.  Repeat, we are under attack by Zechs Marquise."_

_"Red alert!"_ Lady Une shouted in response.  _"All systems, red alert!  All personnel, to your emergency stations!"_

 

"Do we have an emergency station?" Duo asked in confusion, and Trowa rolled his eyes.

_"Just shoot the bad guys, 02."_

 

Wufei's eyes were following the lightning-fast movements of Wing and Tallgeese.  "Not this time, Hiiro," he hissed, and blasted off to claim his share of the fight.

 

Zechs wasn't doing too well, though he felt like he was on top of the world.  His eyes gleamed when 05 came flashing into view, and he urged on Tallgeese even harder.  "More!  More!  Come at me, fools!"  Tallgeese was practically dancing, whirling to elude the Gundams' attacks, twinkling in close just long enough to deliver its own attacks before zipping out of the way again.

 

Not fast enough, though.  Tallgeese shuddered under the force of a blow from Wing's saber as it was trying to dodge a wave of 05's dragonfire.

 

Zechs cried angrily, "Tallgeese, you have to be faster!"  His words were drowned in a glob of blood that came bursting from his lips.  For the first time, he became aware of the pain, the shuddering of his heart, the straining of his skin.  His body couldn't take much more of this.  "No!" he howled, and pushed the controls still harder.

 

A calm, authoritative voice came rolling out from the speakers.  _"Tallgeese - enough."_

 

As if he had suddenly been released, Zechs yanked the controls backward, bringing Tallgeese to a halt.  He bent over, retching, watching more blood come pouring out of his mouth as he clutched at his chest.  He reached up with one hand to tear off his helmet, which was suddenly suffocating him.

 

"What are you doing?" Wufei demanded.  For he found his progress impeded by a single Leo, its hand held out as if it could possibly restrain Nataku.

_"Back down, Mr. Chang,"_ Treize said quietly from within it.  Wufei's eyes shot to Wing, which, like a well-trained dog, was now poised quietly, waiting for orders.

 

Hissing between his teeth, Wufei attempted to attack again, but now it was _Wing_ restraining him.  "Let go of me," he growled, ready to hurt a comrade if necessary.  "Our enemy's right there!"

_"You had orders,"_ Hiiro informed him calmly.

 

"Ragh!"  Wufei turned on him in frustration.

 

Treize, ignoring the scuffle between Gundams 01 and 05 behind him, stepped closer to the white MS.  "I release you, Tallgeese," he said quietly.  "Zechs, be sure to re-sync and do maintenance soon...Tallgeese has lain dormant for too long, and its systems are deteriorating.  It would be a shame if our great show was spoiled over something as mundane as that."

 

 _"Don't know...what you're talking about,"_ Zechs coughed, glaring up at the commscreen through his bangs.

 

Treize smiled.  "Take care of my old MS, Zechs...and of yourself, too."  Then he called his forces back.

 

Zechs, reluctantly retreating along with the Maganac troops, clenched his fists.  Surely Treize had some reason for practically giving Tallgeese away, but there was nothing Zechs could do about it...White Fang needed the Tallgeese.  Cursing, he punched in the coordinates for home, leaned back in the seat, and allowed himself to lose consciousness as Tallgeese soared away.

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  Duo's and Wufei's military accomplishments have earned them the rank of "-sama" in Dorothy's personal hierarchy.  Quatre, though something of a disappointment, still merits a "Sir" because of his gentlemanly behavior at their first meeting.


	13. Act 13 - Reuniting

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 13 - Reuniting**

 

Quatre huddled back in his seat, feeling almost sick with excitement and nervousness.  He was so glad Rashid was sitting next to him in the car, with his huge comforting presence.  Without him, it would have been difficult to endure the incredulous, adoring looks from so many strangers, and the apprehension Quatre felt at finally getting to meet his real family at last.

 

"I miss Sandrock," he said softly, trying to find something else to think about.

 

The strange Maganac in the front passenger seat turned to smile at him.  "Please don't worry, Quatre-sama.  Your MS - I mean, your Gundam - will be cared for by our best technicians."

 

Always polite, Quatre smiled back.  "I'm sure it will be.  Thank you."  Then it seemed that there was nothing else to say.

 

The car passed through impressive sets of security gates, made its way up a long, winding driveway, and finally pulled up to the front doors of an enormous, yet simply-designed mansion.

 

Quatre tried not to stare as the door was opened for him and he stepped out of the car.  Dignity was in order here, not childlike amazement at how rich his family apparently was.

 

He was led up a wide set of stairs and down hallways and through doors.  They passed servants who immediately stopped what they were doing to bow, staring so determinedly at the floor that Quatre realized they must have been ordered not to stare at _him_.  He suddenly stopped, to the surprise of his escorts.  Reaching out, he touched the shoulder of a woman who had been dusting a huge picture frame before he'd come into sight.  He smiled when her startled eyes met his.  "Thank you for your hard work," he told her warmly, and her eyes went huge.

 

"Q-Quat--  I, er, I--  But...."

 

Quatre bowed, and she hastily returned the gesture.  Then Quatre walked on, with the Maganacs of the future giving him puzzled looks.

 

At last they came to a set of doors which were opened with great care and respect.  He stepped inside to find a pleasantly furnished room, with huge windows that offered a wonderful view of the gardens outside.

 

Quatre however, barely saw all this.  His attention was caught at once by the man standing stiffly on the other side of the room.  "Winner-sama," the Maganacs were murmuring, "We have brought him."  Father and son stood wordlessly for a long time, staring at each other, neither of them looking quite happy by what they saw.

 

"Quatre," the man finally said, reaching up uneasily to stroke his carefully-oiled beard.

 

"Father," Quatre acknowledged softly.

 

Mr. Winner finally shook his head.  "You look too much like your mother," he announced.  "A man should not have the beauty of a female."

 

A blush spread across Quatre's fine, fair face.  "I'm sorry my looks do not please you," he murmured, just the tiniest bit resentfully.

 

"A pilot's appearance means nothing when he is in the cockpit," Rashid said meaningfully from behind him.  Quatre didn't turn around, but he smiled to hear the reassuring sound of the captain's voice.

 

"You."  Mr. Winner's eyes narrowed.  "It was you who stole away my son.  You are a criminal and a traitor."

 

"Father?" Quatre said in alarm.

 

"Are you going to have me arrested, Winner-sama?" Rashid said quietly.  The two men shared a long look.

 

"You can't do anything to Rashid," Quatre said flatly.  "I won't allow it."

 

"You won't allow it," his father echoed, as if Quatre had just said something childish.  "One day you will be the head of this organization, Quatre - but currently, _I_ am the one in charge, and it is my will that will be carried out, not yours."

 

Quatre glared, but before he could reply to this, the doors burst open and a crowd of girls rushed in, crying Quatre's name in delight.  They surrounded him and smothered him with hugs, laughter, kisses on his face and hair and hands, and exclamations of joy.

 

"Quatre's come back to us at last!"

 

"He is soooo _cute_!"

 

"Yes, just like Mama!"

 

Quatre felt like he was in the midst of a flock of pushy, affectionate birds.

 

"Who are you?" he managed to ask, bewildered.

 

They shrieked with laughter and hugged him harder.  "We're your sisters!"

 

"This isn't even all of us!"

 

"The other ones are waiting for you with Mama."

 

"Oh, Quatre darling, you _must_ come see Mama!"

 

The look on his face, of hope and joy and longing and fear, nearly broke their hearts.  They cried out in sympathy and swept him away, followed by a rather amused Rashid.

 

Mr. Winner was _not_ pleased.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The setting could not have been more perfect if they had planned it.  Indeed, that may in fact have been the case, but it made no difference to Quatre.  Seeing his mother for the first time as she sat in a garden, surrounded by sunlight and bright flowers and adoring daughters, with her worn face lifting to his and breaking into a tearful smile....

 

Well, it was no wonder, with all that bittersweet joy flooding his sensitive heart from all directions, that he found himself at her feet, sobbing into her lap.  "Mother...."

 

"Quatre," she murmured, her hands stroking his hair as she bowed over him, almost overcome by the weight of her emotions.  "Oh my Quatre, my dear one, at last you've returned to me."

 

The girls could not stand it for long.  After only a few moments, they had dragged him up to hug him themselves, passing him along from one to the next.  He couldn't help laughing as each one took her turn, their smiles even more watery than his own.

 

"Oh, Quatre honey, we're so glad you're _back_!"

 

"We _missed_ you!"

 

"How could we miss him?" one of the younger ones objected.  "We didn't even know him!"

 

"Well, we know him now!" another laughed.

 

"We've only just met!"

 

"We know him, we know him!"  Yet another took his hand and placed it over her heart, and as she laid her own hand against his chest, they smiled at each other, for the message was clear - their hearts beat as one.  These girls, these young women, had cherished him for fourteen years, their love stronger than time and distance.

 

"I thought," he said shyly, "that I didn't need any family other than the Maganacs...I thought I was all right not knowing--"  He didn't know if he was crying or laughing.  "I was so wrong."  Then he suddenly gasped and wiped his eyes before looking sheepishly over at Rashid.  "Not that I'm not so grateful, Rashid."

 

The burly soldier suddenly found himself the center of an overwhelming amount of female attention.

 

"That's right!"

 

"Rashid took our Quatre away!"

 

"He saved him from Father's evil plan to take over the world!"

 

"Rashid took care of our Quatre!"

 

"It's all his fault!"

 

"Get him!"

 

Rashid's eyes widened slightly in alarm, but he had taken only a single step back when the horde was upon him, subjecting him to teasing hugs and shouts of gently scolding gratitude.

 

Left alone with his mother, Quatre smiled again and turned back to her.  Their hands met at once, as if they could not bear to be apart.  "My son, are you well?" she asked, her eyes searching his.

 

"I am well," he said gently.  "It is true, Rashid has taken good care of me.  What about you, Mother?"

 

"My only regret in life is having lost your childhood," she said softly.  "And yet to have you here in my arms again, to see your sweet face unclouded by the ravages of war...I am so grateful."

 

He leaned down to kiss her forehead.  "I love you," he whispered, savoring every syllable.  It was the first time in his life he had had the opportunity to say such precious words to the woman who had brought him into the world.

 

"I love you," she whispered back, her eyes fixed on his face.  "Always I have whispered it into the air, hoping the wind would carry my words to wherever you were...now at last, you are here to hear it.  I love you, my son."

 

"I have heard it," he said, his eyes brimming with tears again.  "In my heart, in my dreams, I heard it."

 

"Look at them together!" one of the sisters exclaimed in delight.  Quatre and his mother glanced up, startled, to find the others returning to them.  The girls laughed as they held up a lock of their mother's hair to their brother's.  "Look, look, it's the same color!"  In truth, mother and son did look extraordinarily alike.  Most of the girls took more after their father.

 

"Madam," Rashid now interjected, and bowed when Mrs. Winner looked at him.  "I wish to beg forgiveness for what I put you through.  I am afraid I must admit that my actions would not change, should I have the choice to do it again, but--"

 

"Rashid," she said gently, "be at peace.  I hold nothing against you.  I...I thank you.  I know what would have become of my son if he had remained here."

 

Rashid nodded gravely, looking a little relieved.  "These are good words to hear, mistress."

 

It took a while for the girls to settle down enough to have lunch, but Quatre enjoyed eating with them, drinking in the sights and sounds of his sisters - twenty-nine of them! - enjoying their meal with the newest addition to their family.

 

The mood, unfortunately, died at once when Mr. Winner came out into the garden where his family was picnicking.  The girls hushed and stared up at him.  "Quatre," he said in a businesslike tone, "come with me."

 

"Yes, Father," Quatre said, but only after glancing at his mother and Rashid, who both nodded gravely.  Rashid got up at once to accompany them.  Mr. Winner looked as if he would have liked to protest, but said nothing.  "Where are we going?" Quatre asked when they were back inside.

 

"I've finally got you back," his father said shortly.  "It is now time to put you to work."

 

Quatre came to a stop, and his father was forced to turn back to him in annoyance.  "Come along."

 

"Father," Quatre said, "I have fought in battles.  I do not like taking human life, and I don't like what you're doing.  Winner Corp. started out as a natural resource processor, yet here you are manufacturing mobile suits, _profiting_ from a war.  I will not fight for you if greed and political manipulation is your only goal."

 

"The next time you speak to me that way, you will be punished," Mr. Winner returned evenly.  "Quatre, you _will_ fight--"  He stopped abruptly when he saw the stubborn look on his son's face.  He sighed.  "Quatre...we _need_ you.  You were bred for this.  The enhanced abilities and specializations you were programmed with are what make you the only person we have capable of piloting a Gundam."

 

Quatre's face had drained of color.  "What do you mean...enhanced abilities?" he whispered, and Rashid shot him a concerned look.  "Rashid said...Rashid said that I was not made by OZ - that I was born into this family."

 

Mr. Winner snorted.  "Of course you were born into this family, but you _were_ made by OZ.  At least, your original copy was."

 

It was becoming strangely difficult for Quatre to breathe.  "My - _copy_?"

 

"Rashid," Mr. Winner said in annoyance, "what did you tell him?"

 

"The truth," Rashid said firmly.  "Quatre-sama is your only son and heir, born of your wife."

 

Mr. Winner frowned.  "True enough.  But Quatre, didn't you know that your genetic blueprints were made by OZ?  They created five of those monsters, if I remember correctly, though they discarded model 04 early on because its fundamental design was defective.  Luckily, one of my agents in that organization managed to steal the supposedly scrapped plans, which allowed us to create our own 04 in our labs...."  He shook his head.  "So we ended up with _you_ , though frankly, I would have preferred one of the other, more reliable models."

 

Quatre could barely speak.  "But Mother...?"

 

"When she heard that we were trying to make a male child, Quatrina begged me to let her own womb carry the embryo to term, even though she nearly died giving birth to you."  He sighed again.  "Foolish woman.  There was a _reason_ all our other children were test tube babies."  At last, he seemed to catch sight of his son's face.  "Now what are you so worked up about, boy?"

 

"...I'm...."

 

Mr. Winner frowned.  "You _are_ my legitimate heir, if that's what's bothering you.  My genes and Quatrina's went into your making, and I have no other son."

 

"Is that so!" Quatre exploded, his tongue loosened at last.  "OZ was right after all!  I am no different from Hiiro and Trowa and the others!  I was _made_ in a _laboratory_ \--"  He suddenly broke off.  When he spoke again, his voice was strangely calm.  "Only - that's not right.  I'm _not_ like them.  _They_ were wanted.  I was just....  04 was just the 'discard'."

 

"Quatre-sama," Rashid said quickly, "did you see nothing in the last hour?  Did you not see the true joy in the eyes of your sisters, of your mother, when they saw you safely returned to them?"

 

Quatre did not answer, and Mr. Winner set a heavy hand on his shoulder.  "Come, Quatre.  I need to show you the MS.  I presume that our Maganac mobile suits are different from what you were accustomed to at the Alliance."

 

"Yes," Quatre said, and suddenly laughed, a hollow sound that Rashid listened to with trepidation.  "Yes, the Alliance MS were different.  Very well, Father.  Show me your army."

 

_To be continued...._


	14. Act 14 - Unraveling

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 14 - Unraveling**

 

Noin pushed open the door to Zechs's room and went over to him softly, trying to make as little noise as possible.  He was lying in the hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling, the instruments around him beeping regularly.  "Zechs?" she whispered.  There was no response.

 

Sighing, she sat down on the edge of the bed and cut a bit of meat off the steak before holding the fork up to her commander's lips.  "Zechs...please, try and eat."  When there was no reaction in that still face or the unblinking blue eyes, she returned the fork to the tray and then dropped her face into her hands.  "You don't even hear me, do you," she said bitterly, her voice muffled.  "If I knew you wouldn't kill me for attempting such a thing, I'd dismantle that blasted MS with my bare hands."

 

"...Noin."

 

She snapped back to face him, startled.  "Zechs?!  You remember me?"

 

At last his head turned toward her, his eyes hesitantly searching her face.  "Noin...."  His hand slid across the sheets, and she quickly picked it up with both her own.

 

"Oh, Zechs, you've come back!"

 

"What...happened?"

 

"I don't know," she said helplessly.  "Howard said you snuck off in the middle of the night on some crazy mission to steal the Tallgeese--  Why didn't you at least tell _me_ , Zechs?!" she burst out, the hurt evident in her voice.  "You tell Howard, you let _Howard_ at least know where you're going - why didn't you take me with you, Zechs!"

 

Her words were bringing up too many memories all at once, it hurt his brain.  He turned his face away and put his free hand over his ear.  "Be quiet."

 

The room was silent for awhile, except for that stupid beeping.  _'Yes!'_ Noin wanted to scream at the monitor.  _'His heart is_ fine _!  It's his mind I'm worried about, you stupid machine!'_   Instead, she took deep breaths, then pulled her boots off and hesitantly stretched out beside him.  "I'm sorry," she whispered.

 

After a while he spoke again, frowning in concentration.  "Tallgeese."

 

Noin did not want to talk about Tallgeese right now.  She pressed her lips together, but said nothing.

 

"Tallgeese is...safe?"

 

"The mechanics are working on it," she said shortly.

 

He suddenly sat up, startling her.  "Tallgeese is sick," he announced.  "Don't let anyone pilot it yet."  When she only looked at him in confusion, he gripped her arm hard, his eyes staring intensely into hers.  " _Don't let anyone pilot it._ "

 

"I-I won't," she said, unable to sit up because of the way he held her.

 

He seemed to relax, and lay back down again.  His eyes closed, and he drifted into sleep with one arm around her waist.  After struggling to work her communicator out, she relayed his message to someone who would pass it along to the mechanics, then settled down comfortably next to Zechs Marquise, watching over his sleep.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"What do you mean we're not going after him?!"

 

Lady Une gave Duo an annoyed look.  "Agent 04 has chosen to forsake the Alliance and return to his family.  We have no business in such a matter."

 

Duo's eyes narrowed suspiciously.  "Since when have you cared about our families?  I can't believe you're just gonna let him go - he's in the enemy's lair, for cryin' out loud!  You don't even want to _try_ to get him back?"

 

"02," Lady Une said in a businesslike tone, "it is true that we are unhappy with the fact that OZ technology has fallen into the hands of Winner Corp."  It took Duo a moment to realize that she was referring to Quatre, not a piece of equipment.  "Let me assure you that we are working to remedy the situation, but you personally have nothing to worry about."  At his dubious look, she clicked her teeth impatiently.  "Take the day off, 02," she clarified.  "Relax, train, play video games - I don't care.  Just let us take care of business until we can arrange your next mission."

 

"Understood," Trowa said, cutting off Duo's protests.  "Permission to leave, Colonel Une?"

 

"02 and 03, you are dismissed.  01, stay a moment, I have something to discuss with you."

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

Trowa hauled Duo out without a backward glance, then yanked him close to whisper in his ear.  "Quatre is in the heart of Winner territory.  No one could get to him without toppling the entire organization itself, a task at which we have so far been unsuccessful.  As for Quatre himself...have a little faith in him."  They exchanged a look, and finally Duo nodded.

 

Back in the office, Hiiro guessed the mission before Lady Une even brought it up.  "Eliminate the traitor, the failed experiment 04," he intoned, not even bothering to make it a question.

 

"At the first opportunity," Colonel Une confirmed.  "Dismissed."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The next afternoon, Leila and Settareh crept into their little brother's room, snuck up behind him, and pounced.  "Hah!"

 

"Got you, Quatre!"

 

"Now succumb to our Big Sisters' Tickle Attack!"  There was no response from the boy.  "Quatre?"  The girls looked at each other in concern, then over at the bodyguard who waited inconspicuously across the room.  As one, they nodded and marched over to him.  "Rashid?"

 

He hid a smile as he bowed.  "What can I do for you, ladies?"

 

"Tell us right now, Rashid!"

 

"Straight out!"

 

And together they chorused, " _What's the matter with our Quatre?_ "

 

"He's been like this for _days_ ," Leila whined.

 

"He won't do anything except sulk in here and stare out the window!"  They both fixed Rashid with expectant glares.

 

"Well," the captain said, "Quatre-sama is displeased with his...origins.  In OZ, I mean."

 

"But that's silly!"

 

"He's still our brother!"

 

"And we were so happy to have him back, too!"  They went and cuddled their little brother as much as he would allow.  "Quatreeeee...."

 

"Come play with us."

 

"At least come watch us?"

 

"Mother is upset."

 

He gave a long sigh, and leaned back into their comforting arms, though his heart still ached.  "All right," he agreed in a low voice.  They were excited, and chattered constantly as they led him out of the room, though they could coax only the smallest of smiles from him.

 

His mother looked so happy to see him, her face lighting up and her arms reaching for him the moment he set foot in the recreation room.  Quatre experienced a mass glomp before the girls gradually went their separate ways again.  Some settled down by their mother and brother, others dashed back to resume paused video games, still others were playing chess or sewing or reading - yet whatever activity they chose, it was accompanied by _talking_.  Every single one of them was talking and talking and talking, as if the sound of their voices wove a joyful net that connected them to the universe.

 

"Aren't they beautiful?" his mother asked affectionately.

 

"Yes," he agreed quietly, and it was true.  It was difficult to imagine discontent or melancholy in this place, or to think of what was going on behind the scenes.  But while the girls were laughing and enjoying themselves here, elsewhere in the complex, soldiers were training and MS were being readied for both the market and the battlefield.

 

"Has...White Fang attacked this place before?" Quatre asked hesitantly.  "Or the Alliance?"

 

"You mean our home directly?" his mother inquired.

 

"Yes."  He was a little afraid to hear the answer, unable to bear the thought of his mother and sisters cowering in terror or getting hurt.

 

She hesitated, sensing his thoughts.  "It has happened once or twice.  However, there is a shelter below, and we are all well-versed in the evacuation procedures.  No harm has ever befallen us women, though I am afraid the same cannot be said for the men, of course."

 

"You've forgotten Ilea," one of the other girls objected.  "She's on the front lines all the time!"

 

"What?" Quatre said in alarm.

 

"Not the _front_ front lines," one of the other girls corrected reassuringly.  "But she's our best medic, so she has to go out a lot during the fighting when it's still dangerous."

 

"She is a brave young woman," their mother murmured.

 

The next moment, they were startled by a sudden blaring of alarms, and a red light began to flash around and around, splashing their faces with unnatural color.  Some of the girls winced and slapped their hands over their ears, and the younger ones were crying.  The oldest ones, however, went into action at once, turning off the lights and electronics and herding their little sisters away.

 

"Mother," Quatre said in alarm, "is it an attack?"

 

She embraced him.  "We must go to the shelters...my son, what will you do?"  Her eyes were full of pain as she looked at him, and he knew that she feared for his life if he were to battle.

 

"Mother," he said slowly, "I want to stay with you, but...I don't feel - _right_ about hiding away with you, when I should be fighting to protect you."

 

She briefly leaned her head on his shoulder, then straightened again resolutely.  "Go, my son," she said, and her kiss was like a blessing.  "I will watch over you."

 

He closed his eyes and bowed, then hurried to find Sandrock.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Zechs had never felt more wonderful in his life.  Now that Tallgeese had been repaired and synched to him, it eagerly obeyed his every whim, there was not going to be a repeat of its damaging rebellion.  Zechs reveled in its amazing speed and reflexes, the way it seemed to respond to the merest touch.  It was almost like fighting by using his own body rather than with a machine.  He knew that after this, he was never willingly going to be able to fight with an inferior MS again.

_"How is it, Commander?"_   Noin's voice over the commlink was cold and disapproving, but he ignored the tone.

 

"It's amazing.  I've never seen anything like it, Noin."

_"Glad you're having fun,"_ she grumbled.  _"Remember, we_ do _have a mission objective."_

 

"Do we?" he laughed.  "You mean we're not just here to put Tallgeese through its paces?"

_"Zechs!"_

 

"All right, all right," he relented, still smiling.  It was times like these he was reminded why he loved being a mobile suit pilot, but it wouldn't do to get carried away.  He was suddenly glad that Noin had accompanied him...this time, it was he who needed her to keep him grounded, rather than the other way around.  "Cover me, Noin.  I'm going in."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Quatre heard a chorus of staticky cheers when he emerged, but did not acknowledge them as he swept past the fighting Maganac MS and headed straight for the most dangerous enemy.  Quatre soon found himself dueling not just one MS, but two, for a Taurus had come swooping in to support the Tallgeese.

 

Zechs was displeased.  "Noin, leave this to me," he ordered.

_"But Zechs, he's a Gundam pilot!"_

"I gave you an order, Noin."

 

The Taurus grudgingly retreated, and Quatre winced as his own emotions clashed with two other sets, one annoyed and eager for battle, the other anxious and frustrated.  "Shut up!" he shouted.  "Leave me alone!"  He drove in close to Tallgeese, his sickles locking the other MS close to Sandrock.

 

Then he reached for the hatch release and jumped out.

 

It was strange, he had the sense that only half of him was fighting while the other half simply watched impassively.  He could not imagine himself normally acting so reckless (so much like Hiiro, in fact) without a trace of hesitation or fear, but a desire was raging in him to protect his newfound family.  Beneath the surface was a numbness.

_'I'm in shock,'_ he realized idly as he drifted to the ground in defiance of gravity.  _'I'm a product of engineering, and I'm really upset about it.  I hope I don't do anything stupid because of that.  And here I go, making an impossible landing again.  Ow.  Knees hurt.  Guess it's better than getting smashed to pieces.'_

 

Then he stumbled away, with the vague idea that he needed to get out of the vicinity very quickly.  Why was that, again?  Oh yes, because he had pushed another button before the one to open the hatch, and that had been the self-destruct device.  His lips curved into a smirk.  Give the Lightning Baron a taste of his own medicine.  _'You should be happy, Hiiro.  I'm avenging you.'_   He sighed.  _'Though I guess you're not around to see....'_

 

Quatre slowly came to a halt.  He missed the others, he suddenly realized.  They were the first friends his own age he had ever had, the first who did not treat him with awe and deference.  He wished he could be with them, but that seemed impossible now.  _'Keep moving,'_ he remembered.  _'Sandrock's about to blow up.'_   He found himself crying.  _'I've killed Sandrock...oh what have I done, what have I done...?'_

 

The force of the explosion hit him, slamming him to the ground.  His back hurt, and the backs of his limbs, from the heat and flying debris; and his knees and his head, too, where he had struck the ground.  _'I need to get up...but I don't want to...I think that's a bad sign...stop yelling about Zechs,'_ he thought at the woman called Noin.  _'It hurts.'_

 

"QUATRE!"

 

His mother's horrified scream jolted him.  He raised his head and saw her running--  She thought he had still been inside Sandrock.  "Mother," he gasped.  "Get away--"  There was a spatter of bullets; none of the other MS had stopped fighting, even though his mother was now caught in the middle of this battle.  "MOTHER!"  Her body was knocked back, blood sprayed around her in a grisly arc.  NO!!!"

 

The nearby mobile suits ground to a halt as their pilots doubled over in pain.  Even in the mansion, servants and soldiers were falling against the walls, clutching their heads.  In his office, Mr. Winner fell across his desk as the commlink he had been speaking into buzzed into static; the screams of his daughters filled the corridors.

 

Quatre, unaware that his anguish was filling the minds of everyone around him, ran to his mother and dropped to his knees beside her.  For a moment, he felt a spark of hope when he saw her eyelids flutter - but, even as she smiled in relief to see him, her breathing ceased.  "M-Mother...."  He gathered her into his arms and wept.  "Mother...Mother...."

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  The Mr. Winner in this chapter is not the one in the anime.  That one is supposed to show up later.

 

I have no clue how to spell Quatre's canon sister's name.  I've seen it spelled as Iria, Ilea, and Irea, and since it's a foreign name, the Japanese katakana that it's written in isn't much help.


	15. Act 15 - Recovering

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 15 - Recovering**

 

_"It's wrong.  I can't believe....  It is just so wrong to me that peace can only be achieved by fighting."_

_"Yes.  You'll still be thinking that in about thirty years, when you're assassinated along with Hiiro Yui at a peace rally."_

 

Relena shivered.  To know your future, the time and circumstances of your death....  _'Does it change anything?'_ she thought uneasily.  _'Knowing that I will die for my beliefs...does it change the fact that fighting can never lead to true peace?'_

 

No.  Beliefs were not beliefs if they could be altered under pressure.

 

Relena put her face in her hands.  _'I don't want to die,'_ she thought desperately.  _'Thirty years...only thirty years...oh, Hiiro, what do I do?'_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

When the door opened and Zechs saw who it was, he nervously sat up in the hospital bed, even though doing so sent pain shooting throughout his entire body and caused patches of fresh red to spread over his numerous bandages.  "Noin...."

 

She dropped the tray of food so carelessly on the bedside table that juice came slopping over the edges of the cup, and green beans were knocked into the compartments of meat and rice.  She plopped herself down on the bed so heavily that he gasped in pain at the jolt.  "I'm sor--"

 

"How're you feeling?" she said angrily, then scooped up a random spoonful of food and shoved it into his mouth without waiting for an answer.  "Here, have some food.  It'll get you all healthy and strong, just in time for the _next_ battle where you're blown nearly to bits!"

 

"Noin," he tried again, but she stabbed the spoon at his face so violently that all the food went flying off.  He grabbed her wrist to stop her from damaging him even more than he already was, and Noin dropped the spoon entirely and started to hit him (not as hard as she could have, he noted).

 

"I tried to tell you!  I tried to stop you, I _tried_!  Why won't you listen to me?!"

 

"Noin, I'm--"

" _Shut up!_ " she screamed, and he closed his mouth.  "Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?!  You're not a Gundam pilot, Zechs Marquise!  Believe it or not, you're _mortal_!  You're not some invincible demigod or some genetically-altered freak!  Why won't you take care of yourself!?"

 

She finally stopped hitting him, which was a relief; her fists were damp with his blood.  Fighting to stay conscious, he gingerly put his arms around her as she burst into tears.  "Noin...I'm sorry."

 

"Why are you being so stupid?" she sobbed, clinging to him.  "Why...?"

 

He laid a gentle kiss on her temple and leaned back into the pillows, still holding her.  "It's all right, Noin.  I'll be all right."

 

He sighed.  This wasn't the best time to tell her that he and Tallgeese understood each other better than ever, or that his mysterious Alliance benefactor had sent him a set of Gundam blueprints, along with hints about something called the ZERO system.  He could not wait to get to work - things were about to get amazingly interesting.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

When Ilea was admitted into her father's office, she was somehow unsurprised to see him sitting in the dark, staring blankly at his computer screen.  "Father?  Shall I turn some lights on?"

 

"What?" he said dully.

 

She crossed over to a lamp and switched it on, glancing back at him as she did so.  "How long have you been sitting here like this?"

 

"Hm?" he mumbled.  He shifted in his seat and groaned, rubbing his face.  "Not long...agh, such a headache I have."

 

He had obviously been lost in his thoughts for quite a while.  She went to him and placed her hands on his shoulders comfortingly.  "Father...none of us have been able to get in to see Quatre."

 

Mr. Winner cursed.  "He can shrivel up and starve in there, for all I care."

 

"Father," Ilea said quietly, "it wasn't his fault."

 

"Blast it, of course it wasn't his fault!" Mr. Winner shouted in a sudden violent show of temper.  "Of course it wasn't!"  His tone indicated that he felt the truth to be the exact opposite.

 

"Some of us are starting to get worried--"

 

"He's fine," Mr. Winner snapped.  "Not that I care about the little wretch anymore."

 

"Father," Ilea said meaningfully, "he's locked himself in an MS warehouse.  Don't you understand?  I've come to ask...if you won't send anyone in after him, please, at least disconnect him from the computer network.  He is our heir, Father.  He has access to the ZERO blueprints."

 

"What are you afraid of, girl?" he growled, too caught up in his own grief to have any interest in what she was saying.  "You think he's building a mobile suit or something?  Don't talk crazy.  Go back to the women and leave me in peace!"

 

Seeing that there was no getting through to him, Ilea nodded unhappily and left.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

_My dearest Relena.  If you are reading this, I am probably dead, and there is much that you need to know.  First of all, I am not your real father.  Your real name is Relena Peacecraft, the last descendant, in your time, of the great family who was known for their dedication to peace._

_Perhaps you wonder what I mean by "your time," Relena.  The truth is, I am from the future, my true home being the year we call After Crisis 195.  We have learned how to travel through time, and I returned to the past for you, my dear Relena._

_Nearly fifteen years ago, your parents were assassinated in an attempt to end their ideals, which their enemies, such as the Winner Corporation, thought of as dangerous.  The attempt appeared to be successful, for their baby daughter disappeared in the same incident, thought to have been killed as well._

_In the course of my work, I came across some very old, pre-Crisis documents recording the adoption of a child named Relena by a man named Robert Darlian, just a few months after the deaths of the Peacecrafts.  That is, of course, my own name, and the man referenced in the documents was myself.  There was a letter included in the documents, addressed to myself and written in my own hand, though the paper was brittle and the ink faded.  I knew that I had gone back to locate the lost daughter of the Peacecrafts, and to protect her to the end._

_Forgive me for hiding this from you, Relena.  As I am sure you already realize, Robert Darlian was killed during an attempted assassination of his daughter.  Please know that I chose this, Relena.  The decision was out of your hands, and I pray you do not wrongfully take on any feelings of guilt.  You are our hope, Relena Peacecraft.  You will lead this world to peace, and I am proud to have had the honor of caring for and protecting you.  I entrust the future to you, Relena, and above all else, I love you._

 

 

Relena folded the letter from her father again, and sat quietly for a little while.  Each time she read it, the shock and horror lessened, though the pain remained.  What was growing stronger and stronger in her heart was a determination to fulfill his expectations, to carry out that last mission he had left to her.

 

Of course, she had no idea how she was going to do it.  She thought of herself as an ordinary teenage girl, not some world leader.  She didn't even know what the "Peacecraft ideals" _were_.  "Father," she whispered.  "I don't know how I can succeed...but I'll do my best."  She stood up and went to see if this place had a library.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"They've been away too long," Ahmad grumbled.

 

Six or seven of the Maganacs were gathered listlessly in the complex's lounge, sipping at cups of tea or coffee and looking depressed.  They were all here in pre-Crisis Earth for Quatre's sake, but now he was gone, fighting in his Gundam, just like they had tried to prevent all those years ago.

 

More than one of them sighed.

 

"The captain's gone, too," someone else remarked forlornly.  There was another long, unhappy pause.  It was bad enough that their golden-haired young master was beyond their reach.  To lose the pillar of the Maganacs on top of that...they didn't know what to do.  They were restless, knowing they were needed but having no idea how to help.

 

"We might as well go home," Ashraf finally complained.  They all knew what he meant by Home.  Now that many of them had families here, they had grown very comfortable and pleased with their lives, and if necessary, they would have been content to spend the rest of their lives here.  But A.C. 195 was their birthplace and the birthplace of their prince, and always they had been ready to rise up and rejoin the future, to fight for the well-being of the people.

 

"Why don't we?" Ahmad said suddenly.  "Abdul, do we still have that time machine?"

 

Abdul looked over, his eyes lighting up.  "Of course.  It is in a safe place."

 

"It won't do us any good, though," Abdullah pointed out.  "We can't fix it."

 

"We couldn't fix it fourteen years ago," Ahmad said quickly, "because computers weren't as advanced back then and they hadn't started manufacturing cormala oil yet.  It was released for public consumption a couple of months ago, actually."

 

They all stared at each other.  Then they banged down their drinks and practically ran for the door, laughing and whooping.

 

_To be continued...._


	16. Act 16 - Capturing

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 16 - Capturing**

 

About a month later, Duo was getting bored with pointless MS battles and frustrated by his lack of progress in getting Agent 01 to loosen up.  As the four of them headed to the hangar for yet another "Blow things up as you're told and don't ask questions" mission, Duo sidled up next to Hiiro and elbowed him.  "What's up, you look glum.  The idea of getting to shoot things isn't cheering you up today?"

 

Hiiro stalked ahead without a word.  It wouldn't have occurred to him to share his anxiety over 04's disappearance with anyone, much less 02.

 

"Why is everyone here so boring?" Duo sighed.  "What about you, Wu-man?  Is this not getting creepy to you, that we just take the missions and go?"

 

"I fight to avenge Nataku," Wufei said shortly.  "I will not stop until White Fang is demolished."

 

"You're so single-minded," Duo complained.  "And I guess Mr. Silent has no opinion whatsoever, eh?"

 

"It worries me," Trowa said softly, not looking at him.

 

Duo froze.  Then he had to run to catch up, because no one had waited for him.  "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa_!  Did Mr. Silent just say something _not related to business_?!"

 

The visible green eye slid to him for a moment, then away again dismissively, making Duo throw his hands in the air in frustration.

 

At that moment, all four boys suddenly paused in surprise when the alarm began blaring.  "An attack?" Duo said in confusion.  "I thought we already had a mission."

 

"Obviously the enemy beat us to it," Wufei said, and hurried on again.

 

When they emerged onto the battlefield, Duo took a look around and then swore.  "That Zechs guy is back!"

 

"I'll take him," Hiiro said at once, and blasted off without waiting for a response.  Wufei followed him to take on that Taurus which was always hanging around the Tallgeese, and Duo found himself entangled in a mob of battle-crazed White Fang fanatics.

 

"Ow!" he yelled as Deathscythe stumbled to its knees.  He hacked at them with his scythe, but there were too many of them.  He could take on maybe five or six at a time, but with another ten shooting at him from the outside and smaller backup units coming at him from below, it was slightly overwhelming.  "Get _off_ me!" he shouted, and rocketed up out of the swiftly forming MS dog pile.

 

Even when he was clear, they didn't let up, but swarmed up after him.  "I don't think so!" he yelled, showering them with bullets from Deathscythe's head-unit guns and firing the beam weapon from his wrist at them.  Enemy MS were dropping to the ground in pieces, but now he was out of ammo, and Deathscythe was whining in a strained way Duo had never heard before.

 

"Easy, buddy," he said nervously, patting the control panel.  It occurred to him that Deathscythe had never flown this high before.  Unlike Wing, it was probably intended primarily for land battle.  "All right, just hold on...."  He tried to disengage from the enemy and return to earth, but they were relentless, always cutting off his escape to the ground, spread out so that there were others to catch him when he outran them.

 

"What is _with_ this?!" he yelled, and suddenly found it necessary to gasp for breath.  He was far from claustrophobic, but the cockpit suddenly felt close and confining.  "What's...going on?" he murmured weakly.  The sky outside was dim, too dim, and it took him quite a few minutes, as he was driven farther and farther up, to realize that that was because they were approaching outer space.  "No _way_."

 

He quickly punched a button to adjust Deathscythe's ventilation system so that he wouldn't lose more air than he already had.  The Gundam's movements were growing more and more sluggish, here out of its element, and to Duo's consternation, the White Fang MS had grown speedier.  "They were space models all along!"  Desperately raising the beam scythe to block their increasingly punishing shots, Duo winced when a blast from a beam cannon proved too much.  With an agonized, drawn out screech, Deathscythe's joints locked in mid-gesture and it did not respond to any of Duo's commands.

 

"No!  NO!  Do not do this to me, buddy, just hang on a few more minutes!"  The engines whined as if in answer, but the noise soon died away in defeat, and Duo found himself floating in a heap of dead metal.  "I think...I'm in trouble."

_"We've got you now, Gundam pilot!"_ a female voice shouted gleefully at him over the commlinks.

 

"No way!" Duo cried indignantly.  "I'm gonna get captured by a _chick_?!"  Toggling furiously, he pounded on his control panel as if his fist could force extra power into the dead circuits.  For a second, the electronics whirred back to colorful life - then conked out again.  "Deathscythe, you traitor!"  A vengeful sparking suddenly sizzled at his fingertips, and Duo jerked back, sucking ruefully at his fingers.  "Jerk...after all I've done for you, too."

 

A message in red all-caps letters started blinking snidely on his screen.  SYSTEM FAILURE.  STANDBY.  PLEASE CHECK CIRCUITS.  "Sure thing, buddy," Duo agreed sarcastically.  "Of course, 'standby' at this particular moment equals capture, but hey, what do you care?  _You_ don't have pain sensors."

 

He wondered, as he watched the surviving White Fang suits attaching tow cables to his Gundam, if torture hurt as much as people said it did.  Or maybe they'd just shoot him the minute he was dragged out of the cockpit....  Whichever the case, he figured that Lady Une would be pretty ticked at him.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Why don't you just give up, weakling?" Wufei said in disgust.

_"No!"_ the woman's voice shouted, ridiculously determined despite the fact that her mobile suit was missing pieces.  _"I won't let you near Zechs!"_

 

"He seems to be taking care of himself," Wufei commented, glancing at one of his screens which showed Tallgeese and Wing bashing on each other.

 

 _"_ You _didn't see him when he was in the hospital,"_ the female pilot stormed.  _"One of these days, that idiot is going to end up dead."_

 

Wufei was having a hard time keeping his jaw from dropping.  She was bringing _personal_ matters into a _battle_.  Not to mention badmouthing her commanding officer in front of an enemy, and disrespecting the man she likely had some sort of intimate relationship with.  _'Feh.  As if I didn't need to be reminded_ yet again _why I hate women.'_   Meilan had been a jewel among pebbles.

 

No.

 

Don't think about her.

 

No personal matters on the battlefield.

 

Just don't think about her at all.

 

"Look, woman."  Spoken while calmly slicing apart the last of her weapons.  "I've let you live this long because it's against my principles to kill a female.  But you _need to learn_.  People like you shouldn't get mixed up in soldiers' affairs."

 

 _"People like me?"_ she raged.  _"You mean people with uteruses and monthly--"_

 

Wufei cut off the line of communication before even realizing that he had reached for the button.  _'Ugh.  UGH.  I hate women.'_   He raised his dragon-arm to disable her once and for all.

 

And was rocked by an explosion instead.

 

"Ow...."  He reached up to touch his forehead, which was bleeding from when he had impacted his front screen.  Quickly calling up new camera angles and damage reports, he found that he had been distracted enough by his stupid conversation with the stupid female that he had not noticed the others suits swarming in.

 

So he obliterated them, and then looked around for the woman's Taurus, but she had already scuttled off.  It did not matter.  He had more important matters to attend to, because it looked as if Hiiro had forfeited.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro had never been happier in his life.  The only warriors of his caliber were his fellow Gundam pilots, and he was always forced to pull his punches with them.  This, however, this Zechs fellow, this glorious enemy who challenged him and pushed him to the limits, who let him be as fierce and creative as he wanted....

 

For a true soldier, it was bliss.  No mowing down legions of weaklings who never knew what hit them.  No gnawing guilt at all the blood on his hands, from men whose deaths felt like murder, for they'd had no hope of standing against him.  Instead, Hiiro could actually _fight_ , could actually put all his training to intelligent use, could sate Wing's appetite so that the very air around them seemed to sing.

 

_'Ah, Zechs.  What will I do when I lose you?'_

 

Disturbed by the thought, Hiiro put it away from him and delved deeper into the battle.

 

Until, _"01, report back to HQ immediately."_

 

"What?" he said irritably, most of his mind still absorbed in the fight.

 

 _"_ Now _, 01,"_ Colonel Une's voice ordered crisply over the commlink.  _"You are needed elsewhere."_

 

Hiiro was too well-trained to argue.  He was, however, too angry at the interruption to pay enough attention to the code source for the commlink call.  If he had, he would have found it quite odd indeed that it was coming from an enemy Taurus rather than HQ.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Seeing Hiiro inexplicably go blasting away from what looked like a delicious fight, Wufei grinned fiercely and charged in almost before Zechs had time to switch gears to meet this new enemy.  The dragon's fighting style was much different from Hiiro's:  less methodical, more passionate, not as swift or thorough but making up for it with almost fanatical energy.  It took both Zechs and Tallgeese a few vital minutes to adjust.

 

"So," he asked, grimly conversational, "who is it I now have the honor of fighting?"

 

 _"Chang Wufei, and I will annihilate you!"_ was the furious, shouted answer.

 

Zechs, a little puzzled, wondered if the very young-sounding pilot had a personal grudge against him for some reason.  "I am Zechs Marquise," he introduced himself formally, even as he dodged a blast of dragon-fire and retaliated with a beam shot or two.  "It is a pleasure, as always, to fight a Gundam pilot."

 

 _"I'm disappointed that you stoop to flattery,"_ was the genuinely disgusted-sounding answer.

 

"It's no flattery," Zechs said truthfully.  "It is a rare treat to find a soldier of my own caliber - even above.  Though I admit that letting Tallgeese have access to new battle data is helpful, too."

 

There was an angry pause, as Shenlong fended off a blow from the beam sword and then stood poised, creaking threateningly.  "New battle data, is it?" Wufei growled.  He had a feeling that Une would not be pleased if he offered the enemy opportunity to discover possible weaknesses.  "How do you think you'll handle _me_ , then?!"

 

Before the incredulous Zechs could decide whether the boy had really meant what Zechs thought he did, Shenlong's hatch opened and its pilot leaped out, sword in hand.  Zechs actually laughed when the young pilot streaked nimbly down Shenlong's outstretched arm and brandished his blade in challenge.

 

 _'You,'_ Zechs thought in slightly condescending admiration, _'are supremely lucky that it was_ me _you picked for hand-to-hand combat in the middle of an MS battle.'_   Any other soldier, except probably Noin, would have immediately seized the opportunity to reduce the boy to his most basic molecular fragments.  However, Zechs being Zechs, he opened his own hatch and walked out to meet his reckless enemy with a true sword of steel, excitement coursing through him.  No more machines.  No more secondhand combat.  This was a _real_ fight, man to man, and Zechs would be eternally grateful.

 

Unfortunately, it was over much too quickly.  One testing slash, one block, one strike offered simply out of pity, and with the next move it was all over.  Zechs stared at the stunned young man at the end of his hovering sword point, disappointment and compassion warring within him.  "You're brave, boy."

 

Wufei's face flooded with fury.  "Kill me," he hissed.  If the shame didn't get to him first.  For the first time, he hoped very much that Meilan's spirit was not watching him.

 

"No," Zechs said firmly, lowering his sword.  "That would be a waste."

 

Wufei lost it.  "You had better kill me now!" he screamed, "Or I'll come back and not only kill you, but I will utterly _crush_ all you stand for, White Fang in all its murdering, underhanded treachery!"

 

"Now, look," Zechs growled, furious at whoever had been feeding the boy this kind of propaganda, but Wufei raged on as if he had not even heard.

 

"Scum like you and your organization is the lowest!  Attacking a civilian facility, a _church_ , innocents who worked and prayed only for _peace_...!"

 

"A church?"  It made him think of the massacre Noin had been so upset about.  "You can't mean the Maxwell incident...."

 

"MEILAN WAS THERE!  AND NOW SHE'S _DEAD_!!!"

 

In that instant, Zechs understood.  Eyes blazing with excitement and rage and triumph, he strode forward and buried his fist in the boy's gut.  He smiled as Wufei collapsed in his arms, whispering a curse, eyes bright with fury before they dimmed in unconsciousness.

 

"Welcome to White Fang, Chang Wufei," Zechs murmured quietly.

 

_To be continued...._


	17. Act 17 - Interrogating

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 17 - Interrogating**

 

"And where do you think you're going?" Zechs Marquise asked coolly.

 

Duo yelped, brought up short by the sudden firm grip on his shoulder.  "Where'd you _come_ from?!"  His eyes moved wildly over the hangar where the two captive Gundams were being disabled.  "You were all the way over by Deathscythe!" he exclaimed, his voice high-pitched from shock.

 

"I was," Zechs agreed, yanking him back into the reach of the surprised-looking White Fang soldiers.  "And now I'm here."

 

"But it was just a _second_ ," Duo insisted.  "You'd have to have _teleported_ or something to get here so fast--"  He broke off abruptly.

 

"I did no such thing," Zechs assured him.  He was studying the young pilot appraisingly.  The boy had allowed himself to be pulled out of his MS and handcuffed quietly enough, but as soon as they had passed beneath the shadow of a White Fang MS - there had been a quick scuffle, and then the boy had _vanished_.  Zechs had only detected him when his foot had happened to brush against a bit of metal on the floor near the entryway.  Once 02's location was ascertained, crossing the distance that separated them was no problem, thanks to the interesting ability Zechs had developed under Tallgeese's influence.

 

Duo swallowed, thinking of this man who could pilot a Gundam prototype.  "Okay.  Fine.  Cool.  Are superpowers _common_ here in the future?"

 

Zechs gave a very small, hard little smile.  "What you refer to is a side-effect of synching with Gundams.  Only those with certain genes can be successfully synched with such powerful MS."

 

"Uh huh."  Duo gave his captor a wary look.  "Fine.  Thanks.  Guess I'm ready to be dragged away to my dim little cell now."

 

Zechs briefly closed his eyes in lieu of rolling them, then nodded to the guards to take the young pilot away.  Behind him, someone politely cleared her throat.  He turned to find a young girl gazing at him earnestly.  "What is it, Hilde?" he asked, giving a small smile of affection.  "Come to ask for a pay raise?"

 

"Sir!" she exclaimed indignantly.  "With respect, I am Officer Schbeiker in this uniform, and no, I have _not_ come to ask for a raise, how could you think that?"

 

"I'm teasing you.  What is it?"

 

She expelled a slightly huffy breath.  "Sir," she said, back to formality, "I request the task of interrogating this prisoner, Gundam pilot 02."

 

"Hm.  Why?" Zechs asked, playing at dubiousness.  "I suppose he's a handsome lad in his way.  Fallen in love with him, have you?"

 

"NO, sir!" she shrieked, her face flooding red.  "It's just that I - I know I'm new at this and not very high-ranking, and that's a good thing, I wouldn't want to get promoted just because I'm your-- er, Lieutenant Noin's cousin; but I _do_ want to get promoted on my own merit, and I want to prove that I'm capable of handling extra responsibility!"  She stopped to catch her breath and turned those earnest, pleading eyes back up to him.

 

Zechs smiled, having known her desire and his response to it from the moment he first realized she wanted to talk to him.  "Permission granted, Officer Schbeiker."

 

She stared at him for a moment.  "R...Really?" she stammered.

 

He patted her shoulder.  "Really.  I'm more interested in the other pilot, anyway.  I'll leave 02 to you."

 

"Y-Yes, sir," Hilde said rapturously, and practically scampered away.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"So the Perfect Soldier is slipping, is he?" Colonel Une said, very coldly.

 

"..........."

 

Trowa glanced at his fellow pilot, who stood with dangling hands and stubbornly clenched jaw like the sullen teenager he was.

 

"Your failure to keep to your post nearly lost us this battle.  And there was nothing _nearly_ about the way we lost two extremely important resources."  Meaning 02 and 05, of course.

 

Hiiro did not bother to point out that he had been tricked by the Taurus pilot's voice simulation, because it was no excuse.  He should never have made a mistake like that.  He was not supposed to make mistakes, period.  He had allowed himself to get distracted, for nothing more than selfish indulgence.  _'Battles are not meant to be enjoyed.  They are merely missions to be accomplished.'_   He wondered suddenly if Zechs Marquise was ever tormented by the repellant lure of battle, by the sickening gut knowledge that one was ending the lives of men, or if he appreciated the beauty of meeting a rival head to head.

 

_'That thought is not necessary.'_

 

Focus.  Control.  Empty.

 

Une sighed, apparently tiring of beating up on the disgraced Gundam pilot.  "Your orders are simple.  Retrieve 02 and 05.  If they have betrayed us to the enemy, kill them."

 

 _'Just like 04,'_ Hiiro thought.  That mission was still open.  He had not yet found a way through the heavy Winner defenses, but it was only a matter of time.  Briefly, he thought of soft yellow hair and wide cerulean eyes...no more than a child, really.  _'All of us.  All of us are little more than children.'_   He had never realized that before.  No wonder all the students at that Otherside school were so strange and irritating.  They were just kids, with no idea of what they could have been capable of in the right hands, no idea what horrors they had been spared from witnessing.

 

 _'No!  Focus!  Control!'_   His mind was wandering.  It scared him.  He could allow no hint of weakness, or he would crumble.  "Mission accepted," he barked tonelessly.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Duo wrinkled his nose in annoyance and yanked at the handcuffs again.  Their restraining hold remained as firm as ever, and he wondered idly why Hiiro, and not himself, could smash apart walls with his bare fists.  That particular talent would have come in very handy right about now.

 

The door to his bare little cell slid open.  Duo's mouth dropped open when he saw that it was a dark-haired girl, either his age or younger, a fresh-faced thing who looked like she belonged in high school, not in a White Fang uniform, playing interrogator like a little girl playing dress up.  The severe expression on her face only made her look like she was trying too hard - a kid pretending to be a grown-up.

 

 _'And what am I, then?'_ he wondered.  A grown-up pretending to be a kid, or so it felt like these days.

 

"Gundam pilot 02," the girl snapped briskly.  "You are an enemy to peace and now a captive of White Fang.  Your crimes have earned you no mercy.  You will now tell me your identity and your orders, you will divulge all the information you know about your employers, and you will surrender any codes needed to analyze Gundam 02, which we have confiscated."  Then, icing on the cake, she drew her gun with a flourish and pointed at him in a way that practically screamed, _'I mean business!  I really do!  See?  I am very important and intimidating, can't you tell?!'_

 

Duo tried really hard not to laugh.  Then it occurred to him that he had no reason for _not_ laughing, so he put his head down and guffawed until his sides hurt.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

On the other side of the one-way glass, Noin put her hand over her face and groaned.  This was exactly why Hilde was too young for this sort of thing.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"You're kidding me," Duo mumbled, still grinning.

 

" _Don't_ you dare be uncooperative, 02!"  She marched forward and shoved the gun in his face.  "Talk.  Perhaps you'll receive leniency if you do."

 

Duo rolled his eyes.  "How old are you, anyway?"

 

"I'm fifteen, but--  Hey!  Don't distract me!"  She jabbed the gun at him.  It hurt, which made him mad.

 

"Don't do that," he growled.

 

She grinned ferally, apparently pleased that he was finally acting like the villain she wanted him to be.  "I can do whatever I want, 02.  _I'm_ the interrogator here.  Now, talk."

 

"La la la, I'm talking," he mocked.

 

She hit him with the gun again.

 

"Oi, cut it out!  How would _you_ like to be poked like that?"

 

"Seeing as how _I'm_ not the one handcuffed to a chair, it doesn't matter.  I will give you one more chance, 02.  First things first, what is your name?"

 

"Duo Maxwell," he offered.  It was actually kind of a relief to say it, to assert that he _did_ still have a real name, even if everyone refused to use it.  02.  Made him feel like a freaking robot.  "I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie.  And you are?"

 

"Hilde Sch--  HEY!"

 

He grinned and ducked his head to the side to avoid the next blow.  "Not my fault you're stupid, Hilde."

 

"I am _not_ stupid!  I'll shoot you!"

 

"Which will prove how smart you are and totally endear you to me so that I'll gladly answer all your questions.  Right?"

 

Hilde fired.

 

He noticed it in her face just in time, the sudden hardening of the eyes and tightening of the jaw.  His training kicked in and he responded without even thinking, taking in the line of her vision and closely studying her hands, watching for the moment when they would tense to pull the trigger.  She had been aiming for his leg; he moved the target area out of the way with lightning-quick speed, and used the same movement to kick the gun out of her hands.

 

She stood there for a moment, open-mouthed, staring at her empty hands as if she simply could not believe that she was no longer holding her gun.

 

"You shot at me!" he exclaimed indignantly.

 

"You...kicked my gun!"  She growled and slapped him, then marched away with as much dignity as she could muster to fetch her weapon.

 

"Oi, Hilde," he called after her.  "Why'd they make a kid come to interrogate me, anyway?  They think I'm not worth a _real_ soldier's attention?"  Oops.  He had not meant that to sound quite so insulting.

 

She straightened slowly and turned to him, her mouth tight.  "Captain Zechs entrusted me with this responsibility," she said in a low voice.  "I will not let him down.  I _will_ show him that I can do this."

 

Duo suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for her.  He knew what it was like, to get bossed around and treated second class, expected to just follow orders and not have any hopes or desires of his own.  "So this is your big chance to prove yourself, then," he acknowledged.  "You know what, though?  I think he was right.  I think you're too young."

 

"I am _not_ too young!" she shouted, and marched over with her gun like she meant business.

 

He would have to talk fast.  "Would Zechs be doing it this way?"  She stopped, to his relief.  "Zechs Marquise.  He's the big shot here, right?  If _he_ were the one interrogating me...is this how he'd do it?"

 

Her face looked uncertain.  Not about his question, more like - self-doubt.  Useful for him, but very painful for her, he could tell.  "...No."  Her arms were dangling at her sides, and her face suddenly crumpled miserably.  "I'm making a mess of this, aren't I."

 

He smiled.  "Don't worry, toots.  You just ain't cut out for this - and that's a _good_ thing, you know?"

 

"Oh!" she suddenly yelled again.  "So I can never be a good soldier, is that it?!  I'll never be good enough to help Noin-san and Zechs-sama, is that it?!  Little girls like me should just _forget_ peace and go home to play with dolls or something?!"

 

"Whoa, whoa.  I didn't say you were useless.  I just meant that you'd be better off doing what you're _good_ at, not playing tough guy."  He grinned a little flirtatiously.  "You're too cute for it to work, you know."  He couldn't help it.  It was true.  She was the kind of girl whom, in his old life, he would have loved to tease until she admitted liking him.

 

Her lips twisted, and she looked like she was on the verge of angry tears.  "I'm not just going to sit on my butt while people are suffering, _Gundam pilot_.  Suffering because of _you_."

 

"Hey, hey," he protested indignantly.  "Me and my buddies are the ones trying to _stop_ people suffering.  _You're_ the ones going around blowing people up!  _You're_ the ones _murdering_ innocent people!"  The sparkle was gone now.  His handsome features were twisted with grief and fury, his voice shaking with it.  It was very hard not to see this tiny White Fang soldier as the embodying figure of its evil, so hard not to want to put his hands around her neck and throttle her.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Noin leaned forward, watching intently, a frown causing little creases in her forehead.  _'Murdering innocent people?'_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hilde's mouth was open in astonishment.  " _Us_?  Excuse me?  When it's the _Gundams_ who rampage and destroy?  When it's the _Alliance_ that plays dirty, even sacrificing civilians just so they can one-up the Winner Corporation or bully people into doing what they want?  White Fang was established to _oppose_ that, to fight with honor and respect, to _protect_ the people from the corrupted organization that had falsely promised to keep them safe!"

 

"What are you talking about?" Duo said angrily.  "All I know is that my entire family was killed, by _your precious White Fang_ , for no freaking good reason whatsoever.  Did you hear that?  They're DEAD.  Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, Squall, Irvine, Selphie, everyone...they're all dead.  Because of you."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Maxwell.  That name sounded familiar.

 

Noin turned and gestured sharply at one of the assistants, who immediately pulled up a search.  Noin looked over the assistant's shoulder at the article, and her eyes widened.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"What are _you_ talking about?" Hilde growled.  "We would never do that.  Zechs-sama would never allow that."

 

They glared at each other for a minute.

 

"You practically worship this guy," Duo finally said in disgust.  "What makes you so sure his hands are clean?  You're just a kid.  Have you actually seen him in battle?  Did you see how he nearly killed my friend?  _Were you there when the church was bombed_ , when I picked my way through the ruins and watched Sister Helen take her last breath?  She was - an angel.  She would never hurt anybody.  She was my mother.  She loved us little brats when no one else wanted to touch us.  Now she's dead, and the only person who deserved to die even less was the priest, Maxwell, the closest thing I ever had to a father!  Look me in the face and tell me your 'Zechs-sama' is so wonderful!"

 

Hilde was staring at him.  "You're lying."

 

"I AM NOT LYING!"  He had lunged at her; only the handcuffs kept him anchored to the chair.  "I never lie."  Spoken this time in a dangerous whisper, those dark blue eyes blazing.  "I'm Duo Maxwell.  I never lie.  Can't say the same about anyone else in this madhouse."  For some reason he found himself adding bitterly, "Even my own freaking friends."

 

If they even were his friends.  He knew he was kidding himself about that.  Hiiro probably didn't even know what a friend was.  If something happened to Duo, no one would care, except the way you'd care if you totaled your best car.  No, not even your best car - just the backup vehicle.  _'That's all I am, a machine.  No one loves machines.  They say they do, they pretend they do, but in the end I'm nothing but fancy scrap metal to them.'_   The thought was so depressing he wanted to just go back home and cry...if he had a home to go back to, which he didn't.

 

The door slid open with an obliviously chirpy mechanical whir.  Hilde jumped guiltily when she saw who it was.  Duo merely looked over at the newcomer, bored, wondering if it was some kind of White Fang regulation for female members to wear their hair like Trowa's.

 

"Have you gotten anything from him?" Noin asked quietly, her eyes oddly full of compassion.

 

"...Nothing," Hilde finally murmured.  She pushed past her cousin, her face burning.

 

Noin looked at Duo for a long moment.  He glared back.  Finally she said, "White Fang was not responsible for the Maxwell Church Massacre, Duo."

 

"Uh huh," he said resentfully.  It was pretty annoying that the _only_ person who deigned to call him by his name was an enemy.

 

"It's the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not.  Perhaps you should mull over the fact that such a thing occurred just before the Alliance gained two new Gundam pilots who vastly increased its power."

 

Duo stared at her.  Or perhaps not at her, since he was still staring into space long after she left.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

When Zechs stepped into the bare but spacious cell, he found the Shenlong pilot seat in a meditative pose on the floor.  Wufei did not bother to speak or even open his eyes at his captor's entrance.

 

"Chang Wufei," Zechs said anyway.  "I am Zechs Marquise, leader of White Fang - as I'm sure you already know."

 

The black eyes opened then, glimmering with hatred, but still the boy said nothing.

 

"In truth, Chang, I am surprised that you and I are enemies.  We have both lost loved ones to Alliance treachery."

 

"Your words are foul lies," Wufei said flatly.  "You killed Meilan.  _You_ did.  I will not rest until I have avenged her."

 

"Chang," Zechs said quietly.  "White Fang does not attack civilians.  Did you ever wonder _why_ those people died?  Did it never occur to you that the timing of the attack might be significant?"

 

"Speak plainly to me, Marquise," Wufei snapped.  "I will not tolerate your twisted words."

 

Zechs sighed.  "The Alliance was desperate to get its missing Gundam pilots back.  You refused at first, didn't you?  Your comrades 02 and 04 did, as well.  It was not until the Massacre that you agreed to join."

 

Wufei said nothing.  He was shaking.

 

"White Fang did not attack that church, Chang Wufei," Zechs said gently.  "You simply accepted what the Alliance told you...but it was not the truth."  He paused.  "I can understand if you doubt me.  Perhaps you should speak to Treize Khushrenada.  I find it difficult to imagine that he personally would have authorized such an underhanded action - but someone in the Alliance certainly did."

 

Wufei could barely get the words out.  His eyes did not seem to be seeing Zechs.  "You...are a liar.  You killed Meilan.  White Fang killed Meilan."

 

Zechs bowed.  "We have no reason for keeping you here against your will, Chang Wufei."  It was true.  Zechs wanted a willing ally, not a mutinous Gundam pilot on his hands - such a thing would be suicide for White Fang.  "I simply wanted you to know the truth.  I do not see you as an enemy, Chang, and I would rather not have to fight you if there is no good reason for it."

 

The boy seemed to have no intention of saying anything, so Zechs bowed and walked back out of the room.  He left the door open.

 

_To be continued...._


	18. Act 18 - Rescuing

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 18 - Rescuing**

 

_"Barton."_

 

"...Mother.  It's been a while."

 

_"Why, you don't sound very happy to hear from me, darling."_

 

"I'm doing what you want.  I'm betraying my friends, undermining the cause they've sworn to work for."

 

 _"Oh, darling, as if those poor pawns have any idea what's going on._ They _wouldn't be working for the Alliance if they knew the truth."_

 

"...."

 

_"So if you're done sulking, tell me what I want to know."_

 

"There's nothing new, Mother.  I've told you everything."

 

_"Yes, and how boring it's turned out to be.  Barton, my dear, I'm tired of this."_

 

He frowned, not understanding.  "What?"

 

_"The Alliance is a pack of idiots.  I'm bored with them.  I want something nice and fresh...something that may in the long run help me get to Treize much better than worming around in his own organization would."_

 

Trowa closed his eyes.  He didn't care.  He really didn't.  He'd been spying for so long that the thought of switching loyalties held no particular consternation for him.  He would...he would miss Hiiro, though.  Trowa had not realized how close he had come to considering the other boy his friend, but he could not deny that it would be hard to lose Hiiro's companionship, cold and businesslike though it was.  It would also be hard, not having the naive brightness of the new pilots around to lighten the gloom a little.  _'Save it, Trowa.  You've already lost Quatre.  Duo and Wufei are gone.  This shouldn't be hard.'_

 

"Very well," he said out loud.  "We're going after White Fang anyway, to retrieve 02 and 05.  I'll make the transition then."

 

_"Heh.  That's my good boy."_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

He thought at first that it was a trick.  However, trick or not, his interests would not be served by simply sitting here waiting, so Wufei finally stood up and moved out of his cell.

 

The guards he passed either ignored him or gave him nervous looks, but no one spoke to him or stopped him.  Wufei paused only once, when he found himself walking along a vast corridor that was open to a hangar on one side.  Nataku was in there.  Wufei stood at the railing for a while, watching his Gundam being carefully repaired.  Then he narrowed his eyes and demanded of the closest White Fang personnel to direct him to Zechs Marquise.

 

"What are you up to!"

 

Zechs stretched, getting the kinks out of his neck and shoulders, before turning away from his computer to face the young Shenlong pilot.  "Hello, Chang.  I'm glad to see you're still with us."

 

"You've accused the Alliance of the basest, most evil acts, actions which I was led to believe were _your_ doing!  Offer me proof, Zechs Marquise!"

 

Triumphant as this moment was, Zechs did not feel like smiling.  Instead, he reached out and typed a brief command to pull up a document.  "Read this.  There are links to videos and recordings.  I will let the evidence speak for itself.  After that, do as you wish, Chang Wufei."

 

Glaring, Wufei moved over to stand before the computer, pointedly ignoring the chair that Zechs offered him.  What he learned in the next few hours brought him first to tears, then to a raging fury.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It was complete at last.

 

Quatre sat on the edge of one of the higher bridges, staring dully into the eyes of his new weapon.  "Zero," he said softly.  "Will you help me?  Will you help me put an end to this madness?"

 

There was a brief flicker in the emerald eyes of the new Gundam.

 

"Zero...she's gone...my mother is gone.  It's like everything I wanted so badly to protect has crumbled away.  I feel so...lost."

 

A low groan came from somewhere deep within the machine.  Quatre blinked slowly.  Then, wearily, like an old man, he climbed to his feet and jumped through the low-grav space that separated them, pulling himself into the open cockpit.  It was time to synch to his new companion, to the monster that mirrored the grief in his heart.  It was time to begin his real work.  He did not notice the tears sliding down his face as he lay back and let the machine take him.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Duo was sure he could have pulled off an escape attempt anyway with no problem, but thanks to his training in the Alliance, it went much more quickly than he anticipated.  "Huh.  Guess I have _something_ to thank them for, after all."  He glanced down at the unconscious guards at his feet and grinned a little.  "Sorry, guys.  Your tough luck for getting stuck guarding Duo Maxwell!"

 

For a little while, it went well.  Duo had stolen some weapons and a uniform, which was much too big for him but didn't show _too_ badly when he rolled back the sleeves and cuffs.  Once or twice he got second looks, but no one bothered to stop him.  Judging from Hilde, perhaps young soldiers (and/or long bangs) were not uncommon around here.

 

The trouble started when alarm bells began going off.  Duo thought at first that his escape had been discovered, but pretty soon he realized, from the way the panicky soldiers running past him kept bleating the word "Gundam," that it was yet another attack.  "For crying out loud, the alarms even sound the same as the Alliance ones!  Where's your imagination, people!?"

 

A stupid thing to be worrying about at the moment, though, so Duo shook his head and continued on.  Eventually, he managed to find a computer terminal that no one was using, where he began hacking into the system.  Deathscythe was in pieces, which really pained him, but if he could just get his hands on another MS, any MS, he'd be able to get out of here.  The problem was that he did not have time to simply wander around until he found the hangars, he needed a layout of the building.

 

"You!  What are you doing?!  Report to your battle station at once!  There are Gundams attacking, you know!  This is no time to be checking e-mail!"

 

Duo jumped at the harsh voice, then realized that the officer addressing him looked almost as frightened as the lower-ranking soldiers at the mere mention of the word 'Gundam.'  Duo hid a grin, and began theatrically panicking instead.  " _Gundams_?!" he gasped.  "They expect us to _fight_ those invincible monsters?!  We're all gonna die!  Oh Mom, Dad, little Rick, Jenny, I wish I had told you how much I love you before I went off to war!  What a fool I was.  Good-bye, cruel world!"

 

"You're not dead yet, you moron!" the man snapped.  "Just get to your MS right away!"

 

"Yes, sir," Duo said at once, saluting smartly.  The man was already running off, looking even more freaked out than before.  Duo grinned, laughed, then set off running in his own direction.  "Deathscythe, you punk, I'm gonna have to abandon you here...don't hold it against me, 'kay?  It was your fault for losing, anyway!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro had learned long ago that his instincts about missions usually turned out to be right.  Right now, he had a really bad feeling for some reason.  Even as he shot at and out-maneuvered enemy MS, part of his mind was occupied with analyzing what could possibly go wrong with this.  Zechs had that mobile suit, similar to the Gundams...Treize had practically given it to him...04 was lost, 03 had been acting a little odd lately...what could _possibly_ go wrong?  "03," he called, almost before he realized what he was doing.

 

_"What is it, 01?"_

 

Hiiro paused, then was suddenly disgusted with himself for attempting a non-business conversation with a fellow pilot mid-battle.  Yet he could not say _'Never mind,'_ that would be a waste of time, focus, and resources.  "Are you fully prepared for this battle?"

 

There was an annoyed pause.  _"Why do you ask, 01?"_

 

Hiiro ground his teeth, angry first at Trowa, then at himself.  "Just keep the mission in mind and don't get distracted."

 

The tone was slightly scoffing as Trowa replied, _"Thank you for the advice, 01."_

 

...'Thank you for the advice'?  Not 'Roger,' or 'Of course,' or even, 'Who do you think you're dealing with, moron?'

 

Yes, something was definitely wrong, and it looked like he would not even be able to find out what it was until it would be too late.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Trowa got landed with Tallgeese this time, so Hiiro made it past the White Fang defense line first.  Trowa, sparing the briefest of glances to watch Wing disappearing into the shattered remains of a hangar, soon turned his full attention back to Zechs Marquise.  "Your Tallgeese is a fine machine," he commented at one point.

 

 _"High praise, coming from a Gundam pilot,"_ his opponent replied grimly.

 

Trowa slashed again and again with the blade on his mobile suit's arm, trying to damage Tallgeese's beam saber.  He was having just a slightly more difficult time than usual...Zechs's hand-to-hand attacks was not well suited to Trowa's long distance style.  "Tallgeese, in itself at least, is no match for a Gundam, to be sure," Trowa allowed.  "However...."

 

They had been at a stalemate for a few moments, short Gundanium blade straining against the saber's handle.  Trowa tried to take advantage of their focus to slip in an attack on Tallgeese's knee joint, but Zechs anticipated him.  Both mobile suits stumbled, then recovered at the same moment; Trowa fired point-blank into Tallgeese's head, smashing the suit's face, even as the beam sword came thrusting between the plates of Heavyarms's Gundanium armor, perilously close to the cockpit.  "If Tallgeese has a good enough pilot," Trowa continued calmly, "it at least has a chance."

 

He heard Zechs cursing good-naturedly.  _"My visuals are out."_

 

"And I can no longer move."

 

_"...What is your suggestion, Gundam pilot?"_

 

"That we end this useless battle.  We have no reason to fight."

 

_"Hm.  Is that so."_

 

"It is."

 

_"I assume that this mission of yours involves the retrieval of your captured comrades.  I'm not going to release them - they could very well prove valuable assets."_

 

"As I said:  We have no reason to fight."

 

_"...Heh.  Does your companion feel the same?"_

 

"No.  Does it matter?"

 

Another laugh.  _"Not really."_   The beam saber powered down, and both mobile suits stepped back (though with some difficulty on Heavyarms's part).  _"Welcome, Gundam pilot.  Is there something better I can call you?"_

 

Trowa hesitated.  Then he said softly, "Trowa.  My name is Trowa Barton."  He had given his codename because he had to, because going by solely his real name would be too dangerous here in the heart of enemy territory.  Yet he had been in enemy territory all his life, had never known what it was like to walk without the oppression of being trapped under another person's identity.  He wanted _something_ of himself, something that was his alone, to be a part of this new chapter in his life.

 

His mother would not be happy.  It was a very small rebellion, but at least it was something.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro ditched Wing close to where he had entered, trusting the mobile suit's Gundanium armor to keep it safe from enemy harm.  If things went reasonably close to plan, he would be able to retrieve 02 and 05 and return to his Gundam before the enemy could do much with it.  If things _didn't_ go according to plan, there was a self-destruct remote tucked into one of his pockets.

 

02 and 05 were not in the cells that had been assigned to them on White Fang's network.  That gave Hiiro pause, until it occurred to him that perhaps false information had been planted.  After all, it was Zechs Marquise he was dealing with.  The man probably anticipated Hiiro's ability to hack into the computer system.  In that case, where _were_ Duo and Wufei, if not in the prison block?

 

 _'Somewhere I wouldn't think to look for them...right?'_   How clever was Zechs, anyway?  On the other hand, over-analyzing the situation would be counterproductive, so Hiiro decided to simply go with his instincts.  It seemed surer than logic in this case.

 

Even so, he had not expected to run straight into Duo five minutes after loping off in the direction of the soldiers' barracks.  "What the--  02?"

 

"?!  Yo, Hiiro!"  At first Duo, decked out in enemy uniform, seemed happy to see him.  Then the Deathscythe pilot's face sobered.  "Come to 'rescue' me, eh?"

 

"That's the plan," Hiiro said gruffly.  "Do you know where your Gundam is being kept?"

 

"Yeah," Duo said, sounding a little strange.

 

Hiiro looked at him closely.  "You had better not slow me down, 02.  What is the problem?"

 

"The problem," Duo said slowly, "is...."  He paused, studying Hiiro unnervingly carefully.  "Yo, 01.  What do you know about the Maxwell Church Massacre?"

 

Hiiro felt as if his heart had dropped straight out of his chest.  "I....  It was - a tragedy."  Now where had that come from?  Hiiro frowned and snapped, "An unfortunate but effective incident.  Pull yourself together, 02.  Now is not the time."

 

Duo was staring at him.  " _Effective_?"

 

Hiiro took a step back, for some reason finding it difficult to breathe.  "Duo...."

 

"Hiiro," Duo said softly.  "Tell me.  Please.  Tell me the truth."

 

Without realizing what he was doing, Hiiro turned and stumbled blindly away, one hand trailing along the wall for guidance.

 

"HIIRO!" Duo shouted, now sounding furious.

 

Hiiro stopped.  Tried to pull himself together.  He turned back to his comrade and said coldly, "Are you entertaining thoughts of treason, 02?"

 

"Don't call me that," Duo hissed.  "Don't you have the gall to call me that.  Treason!  That's what you're accusing _me_ of?  The Alliance's dog, chained in the dark and fed on garbage - that's what you are, so don't you dare look down on me!"

 

Hiiro felt like he was falling apart.  Numbly, he drew his gun and pointed it at 02.

 

"Now you're going to kill me, is that it?!" Duo screamed.  "Send me after them, complete the whole set of dead freaking Maxwells?!  Fine!  Go ahead!  Do it!"  Too angry to even listen to what he was saying, he flung himself forward with the vague idea of damaging that stony soldier's expression.  He was shot for his trouble.

 

"...."  Hiiro dropped the gun.  Not intentionally - his arm just buckled as if it was made of paper, the gun feeling too heavy to maintain a grip on.  He took an uncertain step forward, then another.  "Duo...."

 

On his knees, Duo clutched at his shoulder, breathing hard.  The faint scent of the blood rapidly staining his shirt was nauseating.  "Guess...it's a good sign...when you call me by my name, eh?"  He grinned, tears glimmering in his eyes.  "Do me a favor...keep it up."  Then he swallowed, his smile dissolving.  "Hiiro, please...please tell me you didn't know...that you didn't know ahead of time, what was going to happen...."

 

Hiiro wanted very much to stop thinking, to simply turn around and go back to Wing and maybe curl up and die within the safe confines of Gundanium.  He couldn't do that, though - he had a mission.  A mission to bring back pilots 02 and 05.  02 was...he had shot him.  Why had he shot Duo?  He'd messed up.  Again.  When he was not supposed to fail _ever_.  He had....

 

_Put one foot in front of the other._

 

Hiiro ripped off the bottom of his shirt and knelt to bind up 02's wound, because he didn't have anything else to do it with.  "We have to hurry.  I don't know how long 03 can hold them off."

 

"Don't touch me," Duo snarled, but a wave of dizziness hit him when he tried to wrench away.  The next thing he knew, his good arm was pulled over Hiiro's shoulders, and the two of them were trudging along down the corridor.  "Hiiro...."

 

"Where is 05 being held?"

 

"I dunno," Duo said sullenly.  He had hacked the computers earlier and checked Wufei's cell, but it had been empty.  "Isn't the Perfect Soldier supposed to be the one who figures that out?"

 

Hiiro felt sick again, and swallowed hard.  "It's some sort of decoy.  05 was not in his assigned cell.  I assume he escaped, like you did."

 

"His name is Wufei," Duo snapped.  " _Wufei_.  He's a person, not a number.  So are you, Hiiro!"

 

Hiiro considered knocking Duo out, but it would be harder to escape with his cargo unconscious.  "Do not speak except with information necessary to the mission."

 

"Drop dead!  I'll talk about whatever I want!  Like about the people I loved - I _loved_ them!  I was too much of a stupid kid to admit it back then, but I loved them!  Because they were my family!  My family is all _dead_ , Hiiro!  Sister Helen's never going to yell at me again...I'll never see Father Maxwell's smile again...I'll never get in trouble with the others, I'll never see them grow up and make lives for themselves...they were _people_ , Hiiro, just like us.  _Better_ than us freaks, 'cause they were normal.  Did you know that Sister Helen became a nun because her fiancé was killed in a war?  Did you know that Father Maxwell used to live on the streets when he was a kid?  Did you ever even think that maybe--?"

 

Hiiro couldn't stand it anymore.  It was like his hands moved of their own volition, a fist burying deep into Duo's gut, watching with unsettling detachment as the glittering cobalt eyes grew dim and then closed, as all the while a voice screamed in the back of Hiiro's mind.  _'Shut up!  Shut up, shut up, shut_ up _!  I don't want to know!  Don't make what I've done even worse!'_

 

Hiiro looked down at his companion lying on the floor and cursed.  Now he would be having to drag Duo's unconscious body around after all.

 

"Couldn't take the chatter, huh."

 

Hiiro looked up.  Trowa and Wufei stood down the hall from him, looking grim.  Zechs was behind them, looking inscrutable.  Hiiro quickly glanced behind him; sure enough, there were armed White Fang soldiers - but to his confusion, they were backing off, looking puzzled.  Returning his gaze to his three serious opponents, he realized that Zechs was gesturing for them to retreat.  _'What...?'_

 

"Not that I blame you.  I'm not much for annoying conversation, myself," Trowa continued.

 

Hiiro was getting a cold feeling.  "03.  05.  Zechs Marquise?"

 

Wufei leveled a gun at him.  "Our ally."

 

Hiiro's arm twitched before he realized that he had already dropped his own gun.  _'Another mistake.  Another failure.  You_ deserve _to be shot.  They'll shoot you anyway when you get back, once they realize what you've done.'_

 

"My name," Trowa said quietly, "is Trowa.  This is Wufei.  We are no longer your comrades - 01."

 

Well.  If that didn't make it clear, nothing would.  Usually, Hiiro would shoot all three and then make his way out, but no gun and an unconscious 02 made this situation painfully unusual.

 

"Wufei," Zechs said quietly, "lower your weapon."

 

Wufei shot him an incredulous look.  "What?"

 

Trowa's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.

 

"They won't be returning to the Alliance, believe me."

 

Hiiro's eyes blazed.  "I am no traitor, Zechs."

 

Zechs's expression did not change.  "Is it really treachery to do what you know is right?"

 

"So joining you is 'right'?" Hiiro snarled.

 

"Would it be right to continue serving your masters, knowing what they have done?" Zechs returned.

 

Hiiro glanced around, his flesh creeping.  He _hated_ being surrounded like this.  He could perhaps make a run for it if he ditched Duo.  02.

 

"Let him go, Wufei," Trowa murmured.

 

Hiiro waited until Wufei, growling, lowered his weapon.  Then Hiiro dove for his own gun and opened fire; Wufei dodged instantly, but Hiiro knew he scored a shot when the other boy cried out - yet it seemed to be only a graze.  Wufei stayed on his feet and even started after him before Trowa held him back.  "Wufei, let him _go_."

 

"He _shot_ me!"

 

Their voices faded as Hiiro fled.  Then his steps slowed.  _'Duo.'_   On top of everything else, he would be returning to the Alliance both empty-handed and missing his partner.  02 and 05 still in enemy hands, 03 lost.  Not to mention 04 still alive.  It almost seemed like too much....  Hiiro briefly contemplated just ending it all right here, but that would be foolish.  He existed to serve his creators; if they didn't discard him for failing, they would need him.  They would almost certainly need him, for Hiiro was the only Gundam pilot left, and they had not yet successfully re-created the means to make more.  _'It never ends.'_

 

His mission now was to get out of here alive and return to the Alliance.  Judging by Zechs's behavior, there was a chance that Hiiro would have been able to make his way back to Wing unmolested; however, he was taking no chances.  He sneaked and skulked his way back, shooting only when he had to.  At the moment, he didn't feel like having any more lives on his conscience if he could avoid it.

 

Wing's eyes were glowing when he returned, as if the Gundam had been waiting for him.  Hiiro paused for only a moment to lay his palm against the cool metal.  Then he was scrambling into the cockpit and buckling in, annoyed that the machine was fully ready to go.  He thought he had left Wing on standby.

 

_"You forgot something, you jerk."_

 

Hiiro jumped at the sound of the familiar voice coming through his commlink.

 

 _"I can't believe you just_ left _me there!  Geez!  I thought the whole point was to rescue me!  But oh, no, the Perfect Soldier's in a bind, so let's abandon the mission and leave Mr. Perfect Soldier's best and pretty much only freaking friend to the enemy's mercy!  Is that it, Hiiro?!"_

 

"Shut up," he growled.  He could not help listening hard for a reply as he readied Wing for takeoff.  His heart sank as the silence dragged on.

 

 _"Hiiro?"_   The voice, when it came, sounded incredulous.  _"You just told me to shut up.  Like, I actually_ got _to you.  Like, maybe you have a real heart in there after all.  Like...maybe you actually felt_ bad _about leaving me behind?"_

 

"Quit making unnecessary noise.  Let's go."

 

 _"Roger,"_ Duo answered sarcastically.  Then, in a quieter tone, _"I haven't given up on you, buddy."_

 

Hiiro blinked hard and triggered Wing's transformation, now that he was out in the open.  He glimpsed Deathscythe out of the corner of his eye, through what seemed like a rather half-hearted round of shots from the Alliance.  Zechs.  Duo would probably be able to get out all right, then.  "We'll rendezvous back at Alliance HQ," he instructed as Wing soared away.

 

 _"No!"_ Duo's voice shouted.

 

Hiiro quickly adjusted his commlink for long-range; at this speed, he would be losing connection to Duo quickly.  "What?"

 

_"I'll meet you somewhere else, but not the Alliance!"_

 

There wasn't time for this.  Angrily, Hiiro punched in a set of coordinates, sending it off quickly before he lost contact with Duo.  "Fool."  Even as he said it, he could not help feeling that the description fit himself better.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

_"Things are falling apart for you, Treize."_

 

"Are they, now."  Treize gazed calmly into the commscreen at the man who had once been his oldest friend.  Still was, by Treize's reckoning.

 

_"Trowa Barton and Chang Wufei have joined me of their own accord.  You've lost Quatre Raberba Winner.  You'll lose the other two soon."_

 

"Yes, I will miss those boys," Treize said thoughtfully.  "In the midst of such corruption, their brightness is refreshing and inspiring.  We need more young men like them."

 

_"...There you go again."_

 

"Mm?"

 

Zechs frowned.  _"You know.  You_ know _what's wrong with the Alliance.  Why do you choose to continue in this position, Treize?  I know you.  Even when things are at their worst, you would not condone the Alliance's darker actions.  Why are you doing this, Treize?"_

 

"The Maxwell Church Massacre, you mean," Treize murmured.  "Only one of many.  Regrettable...truly regrettable.  I had words with Lady Une over that."

 

_"Don't blame your colonel.  She does it all for you."_

 

"Yes," Treize said sadly.  "This is why the blood of all those people stain my hands, not hers."

 

_"...What do you want, Treize?  Why did you call me?"_

 

"Zechs, of all the people in the world, I like to think that it is you who understands me most."

 

_"...."_

 

"Am I right?"

 

_"This has something to do with Tallgeese, doesn't it."_

 

Treize chuckled.  "You see?  You prove my point."

 

_"No, I don't see.  If I'm the one who understands you most, then I understand almost nothing at all.  Why would you, so dedicated to peace, throw your life away by encouraging what you most hate?"_

 

"I like to think that I'm not throwing my life away, Zechs.  I like to think that in the end, my heart's desire will be fulfilled."

 

Zechs sighed.  _"So why talk to me about it?"_ he said slowly, already anticipating the answer.

 

"Tell me, Zechs.  How is Tallgeese working out?"

 

_"...I have the feeling that you're not changing the subject."_

 

Treize smiled.

 

_"Look.  I don't know why; Tallgeese nearly killed me at first.  Yet for some reason, it's getting slow.  I've had it tuned up to the best of my mechanics' abilities, and yet--"_

 

"Now, don't blame a fine machine like Tallgeese for being surpassed by a man like you, Zechs."

 

Zechs paused.  _"_ Surpassed _?"_

 

"You shouldn't be surprised.  You _are_ familiar with your own lineage, are you not?"

 

Zechs shook his head slowly.  _"Treize, what are you planning?"_

 

"Help me, Zechs.  You're the only one who can."

 

Zechs was quiet for a very long time.  _"I follow my own instincts, Treize."_

 

"I trust you."

 

_"Which is what worries me most."_

 

Treize smiled.  "Best of luck, my friend.  I'll be waiting."

 

_To be continued...._


	19. Act 19 - Confessing

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 19 - Confessing**

Duo looked around the rather dusty but well-equipped room that adjoined the hidden hanger where Wing and Deathscythe now rested.  It was deathly quiet.  "Huh.  So this is the Perfect Soldier's hidey-hole, eh?  Not bad."

 

"Stop calling me that," Hiiro growled.

 

"Why?" Duo snapped back.  "Is it possible that Mr. Killing Machine actually has _feelings_?  Is it possible that he may not _like_ what he does?"

 

"02," Hiiro said sharply.  "When have I ever, _ever_ given the impression that I enjoy doing what I do?"

 

Duo was silent.

 

"I told you," Hiiro said in a quieter voice.  "At the beginning.  I told you...we were bred for this.  We don't have a choice.  This is what we were made for."

 

"What do you mean we don't have a choice?  That's _stupid_.  There's always a choice, you idiot.  What do you think Wufei and Trowa just did back there?  What do you think Quatre's doing?"  He shook his head.  "Don't you get it, Hiiro?  You're the only one left!  You're the only idiot who hasn't woken up to the fact that you're a complete slave to the people who give you orders!"

 

"...."

 

"Can't you _see_ it?" Duo said in desperation.

 

"I...."  Hiiro looked away.  He didn't want to think about this.  He wasn't used to questioning his existence.  All he knew was the mission, the battle, the war.  He didn't know how to do anything other than fight, and he thought that was all that was expected of him.  "Why are...you still here?" he finally asked.  "If the others have all turned traitor, and you're against the Alliance, too - why didn't you leave?"

 

Duo smiled helplessly.  "I'm here for _you_ , moron.  You know, despite everything...despite the fact that you could care less what happens to me...you're my friend, Hiiro.  You know?  You're my friend.  Duo Maxwell looks out for his friends."  He grinned a little, humorlessly.  "Even if they're complete jerks."

 

Hiiro was glaring sullenly.  "That's not true.  I care what happens to you."

 

Duo stared at him.  "Wh...What?  You do?"

 

"You're a valuable resource.  If you were damaged or captured or destroyed, the Alliance would--"

 

"Shut UP!" Duo shouted, jumping to his feet.  "You really are a moron!  You think I only care about you as if you were some kind of weapon?!  You're my _friend_ , Hiiro!  Do you even know what that word MEANS?!  It means that - that if you're hungry, I steal food for you!  If you bleed, I throw the med kit at you and go thrash whoever hurt you!  If someone's after you, I've got your back!  If--  Oh, you don't _get_ it!" he groaned.  "I don't know how to explain."

 

"...."

 

Duo sighed.  "Look, bud.  If Wing got blown up - would you be upset about it?"

 

"Yes," Hiiro answered, cautiously truthful.

 

"Why?" Duo demanded.  "'Cause it's a _valuable resource_?"

 

For the first time, Hiiro began to understand.  Wing was not just a military resource to him.  Wing was...important to him.  On a personal level.  On a level that was not supposed to exist for him.

 

And when Hiiro realized this, he also realized that if Duo, or Trowa, or even Wufei or Quatre were killed...it would not just be an annoyance or a mere setback.  It would hurt.

 

"Friends are people who are precious to you," he whispered.

 

Duo blinked.  "Um...did I just hear what I think I heard?  Coming from Hiiro Yui?"

 

Hiiro looked at him, but could only hold his eyes for a few moments before being forced to look away.  "The people who died at that church.  They were your friends."

 

Duo's heart began to beat more quickly.  "What about it?" he said roughly.  Then he gritted his teeth.  "The Alliance had 'em killed, didn't they."  His hands were clenched into fists.  "The Alliance killed my family, didn't they."

 

Hiiro was staring at his shoes, eyes tracing each scuff and contour.  "Those people at the church...I killed them."

 

Duo's head jerked up.  "What?"

 

"I set the explosives," Hiiro said in a low voice.  "I detonated them."

 

There was a moment of silence.  Then Duo whispered, "No."  His voice suddenly rose to a scream.  "No!"  He leaped to his feet and paced in extreme agitation, his hands clawing helplessly at his own scalp.

 

Hiiro took a deep breath.  This had been bothering him for a long time.  He had thought it would eventually go away, but it had just gotten worse and worse.  "I've decided...to put myself in your hands.  You deserve revenge."

 

Duo stopped and bowed over for a long, agonized moment.  Then he whirled and grabbed Hiiro, hands closing around his throat.  "You killed them!" he cried in rage and disbelief, his eyes wild.  "It was _you_?!"

 

"Yes," Hiiro said calmly, making no move to stop him.  "Though after you avenge them, you should go after Treize as well.  He's the only one with the authority to give an order like that."

 

Duo shouted again, unable to contain the turmoil of his feelings.  For a moment, his eyes came into focus, glinting hard and mercilessly as if he really was shinigami.  His fingers tightened.  Hiiro waited patiently through that endless moment.  Then Duo swore explosively and turned away, slamming his fist against the wall.  "I can't kill a guy who's freaking STARING at me like that!" he yelled at no one in particular, and swore again.  He flung himself around the room, unseeing, hands groping wildly for nothing.

 

Then he suddenly stopped and pressed his hands over his face.  He stood very still, except for the trembling.  Hiiro did not interrupt, simply watched him.  When the other boy had regained control, his breath coming out of him in a desperate sigh, Hiiro suggested, "If you can't do it face to face, then use your Gundam.  I'll take a Leo, the Alliance won't miss one of those too much."

 

Duo whirled back to face him, eyes blazing.  "Would you listen to yourself?" he raged.  "We're frickin' talking about how I'm supposed to kill you!  Are you crazy?!  Are you _looking_ to die?  You--"  He broke off.  "You are, aren't you."

 

The boys stared at each other.

 

"Hiiro," Duo finally whispered.  "Why did you do it?"

 

Hiiro turned his face away.  "I was told it was an enemy hideout.  As I was...making preparations, I noticed that the people going in and out were mostly children and teenagers, and some adults dressed as clergy.  I didn't think....  It didn't look right to me, but when I reported it--"  He stopped.  "I have no excuse.  They lied to me, told me that some were disguised and the rest of the innocent civilians would be evacuated before the plan's execution.  But I should have known better, it was obvious.  They were planning a massacre from the start.  It was the only thing that would motivate you and the others strongly enough to join our cause."

 

Duo was rigid, his mind rushing at a hundred miles an hour.  There it was, all the hints and suspicions, spoken with such matter-of-fact calm.  "They set us up," he said numbly.  "They sacrificed Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, Meilan, Squall and Irvine and the others...like pawns!  To get to us!"  Then a stab of agony so acute that Duo suddenly understood why Hiiro would seek his own death.  "If I had just agreed at the beginning!" he burst out in horror.  "If I had just...they died because of _me_!"

 

"No," Hiiro said, a little puzzled.  "You were right to refuse.  You sensed from the beginning that the Alliance was not to be trusted.  Your only mistake was to doubt that first impression.  It's Treize who is to blame.  And me."

 

"If I had..." Duo was still whispering.

 

Hiiro took out his gun and held it out to the other boy.  "I'm sorry.  This is the only comfort I can offer you right now."

 

Duo's lips tightened angrily.  "Coward," he growled.  Then a thought occurred to him, and his face drained of color.  "Don't tell Wufei," he said urgently.  Hiiro said nothing.  Duo grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.  "Don't tell Wufei!" he shouted.  "Do you hear me?  He'll kill you!  He's not a spineless, gullible, sentimental idiot like me!  He'll _kill_ you, Hiiro!"

 

"Exactly," Hiiro said flatly.

 

The fury surged back into Duo's expression, and he punched Hiiro solidly across the face.  Hiiro's head snapped back from the impact, but he did not otherwise react.  "How selfish is that?" Duo ranted.  "Trying to escape from guilt, going off and _dying_ on freaking _purpose_ , turning the only friends you've got against you--"

 

"What else do you suggest?  A sincere apology?  I'm Wufei will appreciate that."

 

"No!" Duo yelled back.  "How about you go after Treize your-freaking-self!"  He stood there, breathing hard.

 

Then Hiiro turned his face back to him and whispered, "Come with me."

 

Duo swallowed hard and nodded.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Zechs frowned as he studied the documents that had been sent "anonymously" to him from Treize.  "This is...monstrous," he murmured, even as his heart began to beat a little faster in excitement.  The theoretical mobile suit was a Gundam, but with a combat program installed that had such frightening possibilities, it took Zechs's breath away in fascinated horror to think that Treize had had something like this hidden up his sleeve.

 

The ZERO system, described in full detail at last.  Able not just to get the full potential out of a mobile suit pilot, but capable of pushing a man _past_ his potential.  Not good for the pilot.  Yet also very not good for the pilot's enemy...or perceived enemy.

 

"Treize," Zechs growled softly.  "What are you up to?  Why am I letting you drag me into this?"  Had it really been Treize leaking Alliance secrets to him all this time, allowing him to recreate Gundam 04 and have an added edge in so many battles?

 

Zechs's eyes moved over to one of the new reports that had been sent to him from his own people, new information on an OZ development that had previously been just a rumor.  MS monstrosities of a different sort:  empty shells that battled automatically.  No pilots - mere dolls, which was even what they were called.  Mobile suits that were programmed to fight on their own, and were not held back by the limitations of a human pilot.

 

 _'Which is worse?'_ Zechs wondered.  _'The mind-altering killing program, or the soulless soldiers?'_   Either way, these new technologies made a game out of human lives.  _'What's the point of a war that's not fought by real soldiers?'_

 

There was no way Treize would support these dolls, which meant that his grip on OZ was not one of absolute control.  _'Treize?'_ Zechs thought incredulously.  _'Have you been fooling us all along?'_   Not a puppet master, not a supreme emperor, but simply a clever man who relied on charisma and manipulation to make things go his way.  _'I can't believe this.  Treize Khushrenada, is it possible I've misunderstood all this time?'_

 

The thought dizzied him for a moment, and for a while Zechs simply sat there, absorbing the idea and thinking.

 

Treize needed help.  There was no telling how long he had been playing this game, perhaps it had started from the moment he'd set eyes on a military career.  He was a master at it, but that did not mean that he had the sort of control everyone thought he did.  The fact that he had trusted Zechs with so much information showed how desperate he was.

 

Or did it?  For all Zechs knew, he might even owe his position as head of White Fang to Treize's scheming.  Did that man's hand really reach so far?

 

Zechs smiled helplessly, shaking his head.  _'You've been busy, my friend.  I suppose it's my turn to stain my hands even further.  Perhaps we'll meet halfway - no, you_ intended _us to.'_

 

Which left only one more important report.  Attacks on military outposts, Alliance and White Fang and Winner alike.  Attacks from an unknown mobile suit - probably a Gundam.  Attacks that did not fit any precedent, but which could possibly match with the data Zechs had just been looking at, the data for how an exceptional pilot might operate an exceptional MS that had the ZERO system installed.

 

Hiiro Yui, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, and Milliard Peacecraft were all accounted for.  There was only one known other that it could be.

 

"Quatre Raberba Winner," Zechs whispered.  "What's happened to you, that you would play right into our hands just when you're trying so hard to escape?"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Sir, Relena Darlian wants to see you."

 

Treize smiled a little.  "Show her in," he said to the secretary.

 

The girl was as lovely as ever, better for her rest and the time she had had to begin recovering from the shock of her father's violent death.  Her large, clear eyes were serious as they studied Treize, narrowed a little in a wary look.

 

"I'm glad to see you, Ms. Darlian," Treize greeted warmly.  "May I call you Relena?"

 

Guardedly, she replied, "If you like...Treize.  -San."  The uncomfortable addition of an honorific amused him.  For all her efforts at boldness, she was too honest a creature - vulnerable in these troubled times, but perfect for the age to come.  No wonder it was she, in the midst of all these brave mobile suit pilots and scheming politicians, who had most profoundly changed the world.

 

"Thank you.  Please, sit down."

 

She took a deep breath, and did not sit.  She held a few folders clutched rather too tightly in her hands.  "Sir--  Treize-san.  My father...told me some things, when he died.  I've been doing some research, as best I can."  A note of wonderment crept into her voice as she couldn't seem to help adding, "The computers and resources of this era are...amazing."

 

"Just the natural advance of 200 years' worth of technology," Treize said with a smile.  His tone was light, revealing nothing of his excited apprehension.  There was no telling what this girl had found, or what sort of conclusions she might have drawn.  There were security measures in place that _should_ have prevented her from finding anything dangerous or incriminating, but still, it displeased him that he had not been told of her efforts.  Anyone who either held the great Relena Peacecraft in reverent awe or dismissed the little Otherside girl as insignificant would be foolish indeed, to let such assumptions cloud their judgment.  Treize had thought better of his men.  "Tell me, have you come across anything interesting?"

 

Relena took a deep breath.  "I've been doing research on the Peacecraft family.  You know...that I'm the last one, right?  That if it wasn't for my father--  for Robert Darlian," she amended uncomfortably, "if it wasn't for him, I would be dead.  He saved my life more than once."

 

"For which we are deeply in his debt," Treize said reassuringly.  "I take it you also came across information on your role in the world to come, Relena."

 

"I tried to avoid it," she said awkwardly.  There was pain in her eyes.  "Sometimes it seemed to jump up in my face--"  She drew in a deep breath as if to calm herself.  "Do you know what it's like, reading news accounts of your own death?  _Watching_ videos of yourself getting shot?"

 

"Very upsetting, I imagine," he said sympathetically, finding himself admiring the sparkle of tears in her eyes.  He made himself stop that, it was disrespectful.

 

"I think...I think I have a pretty good grasp of their ideals now.  The Peacecrafts', I mean."  Those beautiful eyes narrowed again.  "They were pacifists.  They believed strongly that a world with no weapons would mean a world with no war.  Why is it, Treize-san, that the organizations which clamor most loudly for peace also refuse to lay down their own weapons first?"

 

"Are you implying something?" he asked with genuine pleasantness.

 

Relena hesitated for a long time.  Then she said, "Treize-san.  This Alliance of yours.  Why is it that OZ continues to develop new military technology, when it's clear that such action only provokes retaliation from the Winner Corporation and White Fang?"

 

"Surely you understand, Relena.  War is the strongest motivation to developing new technology.  It's inevitable - when developing new technology becomes a matter of life or death, we're going to spend a lot of time and money to make sure we are always one step ahead of the enemies who wish to destroy us."

 

"Such terrible things have been done on both sides," Relena said softly.  "I know that both the Alliance and White Fang claim to fight to hold the violence in check, but there are many records that imply that they cause as many problems as they solve.  I don't believe that an organization based on waging war can maintain pure ideals.  It's impossible.  You can't claim to protect or help people when half the time you're killing them."

 

Treize smiled.  "Such a simple view of the world.  Do you really mean to say, Relena, that by lifting a finger in battle, you nullify whatever protection you might intend for what's important to you?  If you, just for an example, were to be violently threatened, and if your protector - Hiiro, for instance - were to take up arms to prevent you from being harmed or killed, and if your attacker is hurt or dies as a result - do you condemn that?  Do you think it would be better for Hiiro to try to talk his way out of the situation, and possibly to die along with you if such a recourse proves ineffective?  What good could come out of such a situation?"

 

Relena's mouth tightened in frustration.  "We're not talking about individuals, we're talking about organizations.  A single person can have many motivations, but...when such a large group are gathered together--  It's all about money, isn't it!" she finally burst out, perhaps in reaction to the condescending expression he could not quite keep off his face.  "Organizations work for greed, and for power.  They are not easily checked or governed by strong morals, as individuals are!"

 

"And individuals are _not_ compelled to act by greed and the desire for power?  All individuals are governed by strong morals?"

 

"Oh!"  Her face was red now.  He felt sorry for her.  "This isn't what I came for!  Treize-san, please--  ...Treize-san."  He watched as she regained control over herself.  "I want to know what the Alliance is planning in order to achieve peace, and what your intentions are concerning the Gundam pilots."

 

"The Gundam pilots?" he said, amused.  "Why this special interest in those boys, Relena?"

 

The color rose tellingly in her cheeks.  "I--  Those pilots are your most important _weapons_ , aren't they?  What you've done to them is wrong!  You've programmed them like, like _machines_ or something, you've made them instruments to kill.  Surely you can't mean to keep them your slaves for the rest of their lives?"

 

"Our slaves?" Treize said softly.  "Didn't you know that we're losing them, Relena?"

 

She blinked.  "What?"

 

He smiled again, his eyes far away.  "Young Chang was hurt, for the manner of our acquiring him was evil.  It was only a matter of time before he discovered the truth.  The boy Trowa...he is a slave, but to more than one master.  For him, too, it was only a matter of time before he would be drawn away.  I believe that he is strong enough to break free of everyone who has used him, but he does not yet realize it himself.  As for the Winner boy, it was our fault he was lost, though he would have eventually crumbled in our grasp anyway.  That young man is like you, in that his talents were meant to help people, not cause harm."

 

There was only polite interest in Relena's eyes.  He knew whom she was really interested in.  Treize smiled, teasing her just a little by making her wait.  "Conversely, handling him badly, which both we and his father did, makes him the most dangerous."

 

Relena frowned.  "What are you saying?  That in the wrong hands - as if I was just an object to be manipulated - I could cause harm?"

 

"I have some fascinating theories about that," Treize admitted, grinning, "which you probably don't want to hear."

 

Relena grimaced.  "I will not be a tool.  I will live true to the ideals of my family - my ancestors, the Peacecrafts.  I will fulfill my father's expectations.  Robert Darlian will not have sacrificed himself in vain."

 

"It is good to hear that from you, Relena," Treize said encouragingly.

 

"Don't condescend to me.  You never really answered me, anyway.  Don't be vague, I want to know what's happened to Hiiro, and to the others."

 

"Very well.  Chang Wufei and Trowa Barton have betrayed us, and now serve White Fang.  Quatre Raberba Winner was taken back by the Winner Corporation who made him."

 

Her eyes widened a little.  "I thought that _you_ made the Gundam pilots."

 

"The originals, yes.  Not all of our models worked out.  Somehow, Winner acquired the specifications for the discarded model and created their own."

 

Her fists were clenched.  "What about Hiiro?"

 

Treize gestured thoughtfully.  "Hiiro Yui has always been our most loyal soldier.  Lately, though, his performance has been slipping."

 

"What do you mean?" she asked urgently.  "You wouldn't - you wouldn't hurt him for something like that, would you?!"

 

"I'm sure he'll be out of our reach before we can harm him," Treize assured her.  "Some of his past orders have not been pleasant.  Even for the Perfect Soldier, there is only so much a man can take."

 

"How can you--?!  So you mean you _would_ hurt him if you could!?"

 

"Relena," Treize said, knowing that she would not understand how little power he really had, "Hiiro is a weapon.  He was created for a purpose.  When a tool does not perform the task it was created for, it is discarded."

 

Her eyes widened in horror.  "You can't do that!  I won't let you hurt Hiiro!"

 

"My dear," Treize said gently.  "You are a very important political figure - in a few decades.  At the moment, however, you are a helpless fifteen-year-old girl, confined to a military institution with no way to return home.  Do you have any friends or allies here?  Can you contact them?  Do they have any power to help you, even if you could?  Tell me, how will you protect the young man you love?"

 

Her face was white, for more than one reason.  "Excuse me," she murmured, and fled the room.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It hurt, for some reason.  Quatre sat encased in this strange new Gundam, watching the expanse of flames they had created together.  "Zero," he whispered.  "Does it hurt you, too?  Or am I really alone?"

 

He had made sure, doubly sure, that the surrounding town had been evacuated before their attack, but there was no telling what mistakes might have been made, what civilians might have stayed behind or been left behind.  Perhaps he had just committed murder here, even though his intentions were simply to destroy the military outposts, tendrils of the organizations that were harming this world.

 

"Zero...we're doing the right thing, aren't we?"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Hey, girl!  What's up with you?"

 

Relena raised her head, feeling drained and tightly strung at the same time.  "Oh...hello, Sally."

 

"You look upset," the doctor observed, plopping down on the bench beside her.  "Gotta admit, though, this is the best place to run to when life's trying to hand you lemons."

 

Relena smiled a little despite herself as she looked around Treize's garden, a little oasis in the middle of the harsh desert of this place.  "Sally," she asked in a low voice.  "Can you tell me anything about the Gundam pilots?  Well...about Hiiro?"

 

Sally grinned.  "Hiiro, eh?  Got a special interest in him?"

 

Relena's face reddened, but then she realized that there was no point in continuing to deny it.  Treize had been right...she loved Hiiro.  She was not sure _how_ she loved him yet, if it was the sort of love that would make her want to marry him or something, but it was clear that she cared for him very much.  He had captured her attention from the moment she first saw him, and the more she learned about him, the more strongly she wanted to protect him.  "Yes," she admitted quietly.  "I want to know...if there is any way I can help him."

 

Sally tilted her head thoughtfully.  "Is he in a bind or something?"

 

Relena narrowed her eyes.  "You've known him a long time, haven't you?  Don't you understand what--  I mean, they're weapons, Sally!  They're only fifteen-year-old boys, but this place...these people...they just treat Hiiro and the others like objects to kill people with.  Hiiro is so loyal, it scares me - I know he doesn't see what they're doing to him.  He doesn't understand that...that he's a person, that he deserves to have a normal life.  That he deserves to be loved."

 

"A normal life?" Sally said sympathetically.  "I'm not sure those boys would even _want_ to be content with a normal life if they could have one."  She chuckled.  "You saw it yourself, that they barely managed to stay in school long enough to accomplish their mission.  You don't stick peacocks in a chicken coop and expect them to thrive."

 

Relena glared.  "So being killers is better for them than being plain old high school students would have been?"

 

Sally laughed.  "You got me there, hon.  I agree.  Those kids are amazing, and they wouldn't be satisfied with normal, quiet lives, but I think...."  She hesitated before continuing.  "I think they're being...misused.  Not sure I should be saying this, but I'm a doctor.  It's my job to heal people, not to watch them get hurt.  Sometimes fighting is necessary, but it's not just the enemy who's getting banged up.  Hiiro and the others are getting hurt, too."

 

"Yes," Relena said, the word bursting out of her in relief.  "Yes, that's what it is.  They shouldn't make Hiiro do these things.  He's not a dog, to be put on a leash and trained in perfect obedience; he's a _boy_.  A man," she amended.  "A person.  I want to help him."

 

"So do I," Sally said.  She paused, then took a deep breath and leaned in close, knowing that the security system would pick up anything said too loudly.  "Relena.  You're the only person I'd say this to, and you _must_ keep this a secret, I could get in real trouble for it.  But sometimes, I look around and think that the Alliance is not what it used to be."

 

Relena blinked.  "Really?" she said, unsure of where Sally was going with this.

 

"When the Alliance started out," Sally explained, "it was passionate and strong, led by Treize Khushrenada to protect people.  Lately, though, things have been changing, and not for the better."

 

Relena drew in a breath.  "Sally," she said.  "I was wondering...I've been here in the future for a while now, but I think - I mean, as far as I can tell, I'm not allowed to leave this place."

 

"Is Treize holding you prisoner?" Sally asked, half seriously and half amused.

 

"I mean...not exactly, but I'm not allowed to leave the compound without an escort, and I get brushed off when I try to ask if I can go home."  She bit nervously on her lower lip.  "Sally...can I...can I consider you an - an ally?"

 

Sally smiled.  "I should say so, Relena."

 

Relena gave a short sigh of relief.  "Something Treize said....  I need help, Sally.  I want to get out of here.  I think Hiiro's in trouble, or at least he will be soon.  I've done all I can here, and it isn't much."

 

Sally hesitated for only a moment.  Then she smiled and said, "Walls have ears here, as I'm sure you've already guessed, but this is the best place to talk.  Out in the open, harder for the security systems to pick up.  How about we see how much of an escape plan we can come up with before someone gets suspicious and comes to shoo us away?"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

When Trowa had finished making his report to his mother, he was not sure what to do.  He had gotten used to living at the Alliance headquarters, and had no idea if White Fang would be the same or not.  What did everyone do when they were not working?

 

They went home, apparently.  Most of the Alliance personnel usually lived on site with their families, if they had any, but Trowa soon discovered that most of the people of White Fang came to work and then returned to their ordinary lives when their duties were finished.  It might be useful, he supposed, for the bulk of an organization to be able melt away into the city if necessary.

 

"Is there a break room?" he asked, thinking of the games at Alliance headquarters that Colonel Une had worked so hard to get rid of.

 

"Sure," the chatty man he was talking to said, chuckling.  "Fun way to sharpen our piloting and battle analysis skills.  You wanna meet me there when I get off duty?"

 

Trowa was about to automatically refuse, but then it occurred to him that it might be wise to form some tentative allies in this place.  "Sure."

 

He wandered off and found Wufei in the practice rooms, grimly sparring with a White Fang soldier as if he was in a life or death battle.

 

"Whoa, whoa!" the man cried in alarm when he was unable to dodge yet another bruise.  "Calm down, kid!  This is just _practice_ , for crying out loud!"

 

"So you don't get serious unless you're facing a real enemy?" Wufei snarled.  "Fool.  One day that will cost you your life."  He swung at the man's head in a blow that, even with the blunt practice blades, might have proved irrevocably damaging had Trowa not calmly picked up another weapon and stepped in to block it.

 

"Don't lose your head," he said quietly.  "Gundam pilot or no, you won't be looked kindly on if you harm one of your comrades."  The emphasis on the last word was meaningful, and he knew that Wufei understood, even when the other boy growled in frustration and stormed out of the room.

 

"Thanks," the young man said shakily, wiping sweat from his brow.  "That guy - I thought for a minute that he was really gonna hurt me!"

 

"Up until a very short time ago," Trowa reminded him, "the two of you were enemies."

 

The man laughed self-consciously.  "That's true, I guess."  He glanced around the room at other sparring partners.  "Man...that kid, though, he's good at making enemies.  Ticked off a lot of us when he refused to practice with any of the girls - called 'em weaklings."  He shook his head.  "What's that guy's problem, anyway?"

 

Too much to divulge, especially to a stranger, so Trowa just turned away.

 

The young soldier watched him go with a frown.  "Geez...are all Gundam pilots so touchy?"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

As he had feared, his men had disappointed him severely.  Relena had learned far too much information that she should not have.

 

Treize sighed as he walked back to his office, musing over various plans for damage control.  As he went, he idly enjoyed being able to stretch his legs.  It fatigued him when he sat at his desk too long, which was why he had set up the garden and was also one reason he liked to visit his subordinates face-to-face.  The other reason was that a leader was more effective when he maintained a personal relationship with the people who worked for him.

 

"Oh!"

 

He had bumped into someone.  "Oh dear, forgive me."

 

"I'm so sorry, I--"

 

Treize looked into startled green eyes.  "Hello," he murmured distractedly.  The woman was pretty, with long, artfully-mussed yellow hair and wide, innocent eyes that seemed too young for the rest of her face.  She was dressed as a secretary, her name badge reading "Midii Une."  Something about her seemed very familiar.

 

"...Hello, Treize-san," she replied after a long pause.

 

He smiled to cover his confusion.  "Forgive me, madam, but you seem very familiar to me."  A fact that was reinforced by her almost intimate use of his name.

 

After another long pause, Midii said in a soft, oddly serious voice, "Years ago, I volunteered for the clone project.  It is my understanding that Une-X49B is now your personal aide and confidant."

 

Treize was startled, for he had not heard Lady Une called by her original mockery of a name for a long time.  It made sense, though, that this woman would be familiar, if his Lady had been cloned from her.  And yet....

 

"I see.  It is good to meet you again, Une-san.  May I call you Midii?"

 

She was silent for so long that he wondered if he had offended her.  Then she said, "You have called me that before."

 

He blinked.  So he _did_ know her, apparently much better than he had thought.  Who _was_ this woman?  "I--"

 

She suddenly sighed in a way that stirred him.  The ghost of a memory touched his mind, formlessly erotic.  "Oh, Treize-san...I thought, when at last I saw you again, that I would want to kill you.  But I...."

 

His astonishment at this extraordinary statement reached a peak when Midii suddenly moved into him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips possessively against his.

 

That's when he remembered.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Colonel Une ducked quickly back behind the corner she had just rounded, her heart pounding.  Her scream of anguish was utterly silent.   _"Treize-sama...!  Oh, Treize-sama...!"_

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Hiiro and Duo were still en route to Alliance headquarters when they received yet another report of the marauding Gundam.  "For cryin' out loud, shut up!" Duo snarled, knocking his fist against the screen in frustration.  They were on a mission for revenge, they didn't have _time_ for this.

 

 _"Duo."_   Hiiro's voice through the comm sounded disquietingly uncertain.  _"For some reason, evacuations are called before each attack, but this is still serious.  I was trained to put my orders before personal desires.  ...What do you think?"_

 

"You're asking _my_ opinion?" Duo growled, " _Now_?"  Despite his annoyance at his thick-headed friend, he was touched that Hiiro had actually sort of come to him for advice.  "We blast Treize, of course!"  _This is serious.  People might be dying._   "ARGH!"  He pounded Deathscythe's control panel and cursed at Hiiro.  "Fine!  I guess Treize can wait, let's clean up this mess first.  Wait'll I find that freaking 'Zero' pilot, I'll rend him limb from limb...."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Treize did not really remember much after that electrifying kiss.  Somehow, he had disentangled himself and stumbled away, his mind frighteningly clouded from shock.  He had just sat there in his office for a long time, blocking all outside contact so that he could think.  Then he had called up every scrap of information on Midii Une that he could find in the computers.

 

There was not much.  How had she managed to eliminate almost every trace of herself from right under his nose?

 

What there was, however, was disturbing.  For example, a surprising amount of communication between herself and, of all people, one of the Gundam pilots, though the actual texts and records had been lost or "corrupted."

 

One of the Gundam pilots.  The one whose facial features had always made him feel nostalgic.

 

Heart beating more swiftly than usual, Treize began calling up OZ records of a different sort.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Something special about this new pet project of yours?"

 

Zechs turned to find that Noin had joined him in the MS construction chamber and was studying him with narrowed eyes.

 

"Why would you say that?" he asked, curious as to how she could have suspected.

 

"You're acting like you used to back at the Academy, when you were on a long-term training mission.  Or like when you were a kid playing a new video game."

 

He frowned in puzzlement.  "Hm?"

 

Noin rolled her eyes and pointed out at the Gundanium frames that were nearly filled in by now.  "You're here 24/7, or at least every minute you can spare from your real work.  You're being unusually secretive and vague about the purpose of this project.  You _eat_ here, you _sleep_ here.  You did that when you were first playing with Tallgeese, and you've been doing it for those new Gundams.  What's going on, Zechs?"

 

He smiled.  Apparently he needed to work on his subtlety.  That's what Howard kept telling him, too - _"You're too honest, Zechs.  You don't know how to be deceptive.  Sometimes that can get you into trouble, you know."_

 

"It's still the Gundams...pretty much," he admitted.  "We're just adding modifications that I'm hoping will make them unquestionably superior to those of our enemy."

 

"Tallgeese wasn't enough?" she said, eyes blazing.  "You've built a 04 _and_ a Gundam variation designed for your own specialties, neither of which have even been tested in combat yet.  It's not _enough_?"

 

He put a hand on her shoulder, carefully trying to keep her calm.  "Noin, I know that I had a hard time with Tallgeese at first, but believe it or not, my abilities have surpassed it by now.  I need something better.  Tallgeese was not quite up to those boys' Gundams, anyway.  This one - I'll be a full match for them with Epyon."

 

"And end up falling out of the cockpit, spewing blood," she growled.  " _Again_."

 

He looked at her a moment, appreciating her concern for him and simultaneously annoyed that she kept trying to hold him back.  "Lucrezia, you are speaking to your commanding officer."

 

Noin winced.  There were only two times when Zechs used her personal name - when he was feeling particularly romantic, and when he was angry with her.  This occasion was almost certainly not the former.  "Yes, sir."  She stepped back and bowed smartly.  "Forgive me, sir."

 

"Noin."

 

Startled, she felt his hands on her shoulders, drawing her close again.  "Ze--?"  Then his lips were on hers, and for a few moments she forgot to be worried about him.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Dr. J, Professor G, Doktor S, Instructor H, and Master O had been called into Treize Khushrenada's office.  They did not speak as, wordlessly, Treize lay down a file on the surface of his desk.  It was a genetic report on Agent 03 at conception.

 

Then he lay another genetic report next to it, this time a much more recent one of 03.

 

The third file was a genetic report on Treize himself.

 

The first two files bore only the most artificial resemblance to each other.  A comparison of the second and third, however, was much more revealing.

 

Treize's expression was icy when he finally spoke.  "What happened to the original Agent 03?"  Then, not realizing that his voice had slipped into a whisper, "And why didn't you tell me that I have a son?"

 

_To be continued...._

 

Author's Notes:  In a fic that claims to strive for ICness, Midii Une seriously got the short end of the stick.  Way OOC.  I'm so sorry!  I'm not happy with the way I wrote Sally, either.


	20. Act 20 - Crumbling

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 20 - Crumbling**

"Trowa, I was wondering if you might do something for me."

 

It still startled Trowa, the way his new commander kept phrasing missions as polite requests rather than curt orders.  "What is it?" he asked, laying aside the book he had been looking at.  _Lord of the Flies_ , handed to him by some White Fang soldier who had said he would like it.  It was the first story he had ever read.  He wasn't sure how he felt about it yet.

 

Zechs took his time answering.  "If I'm not mistaken, you were acquainted with the Gundam pilot named Quatre Raberba Winner when you were back with the Alliance, right?"

 

Trowa did not know quite what to make of his suddenly pounding heart.  "That's right," he answered, surprising himself with the blandness of his tone.  "I couldn't give you much information on his genetics, though."

 

"No, no, that's not what I'm interested in," Zechs said reassuringly.  "What I'm worried about is this troublesome new MS that has shown up, the one they're calling Wing ZERO."

 

Trowa could not have said why, but he had a very bad feeling about all this.  "A new Gundam?" he said guardedly.  "Who would be piloting--?"  Duh.  "What is he doing with it?"

 

"He is systematically destroying military outposts," Zechs said seriously.  "Alliance, White Fang, and independent alike.  Even, to my astonishment, Winner facilities.  Oddly enough, he gives warning notices before he does so, so that the targets have time to evacuate, but there have still been a few casualties.  Not to mention the enormous loss in weaponry and other resources."

 

Trowa gathered himself before speaking again.  "What is it you wish me to do, sir?"

 

Zechs looked uncomfortable.  "I don't want to ask you to fight a friend, Trowa.  But this young man, Quatre, his actions are causing problems, and I'm...preoccupied with an important project here.  I can't afford to venture out into battle again just yet.  Anyway, what disturbs me most is the kind of Gundam Quatre is using."

 

Trowa frowned.  "What do you mean?"  As far as he knew, each Gundam was unique, with its own sets of specialties and weaknesses.  They didn't really come in 'kinds' - or at least, you could say that each one was 'one of a kind.'

 

"Trowa.  Do you know anything about the ZERO system?"

 

"Not really.  Just that it was something OZ was working on before I left."

 

"Hm.  Perhaps you should come with me...there's something I want you to try."

 

They had not even reached the door, however, when Wufei came bursting through it.  "I have to go home!" he shouted.

 

"Wufei?" Trowa said in surprise.

 

"What happened?" Zechs asked sharply.

 

"I need to go back," Wufei snarled, "back to your 'Otherside,' back to my home.  My grandmother!  They've gone too far this time!"

 

"Wufei, calm down.  Explain this to us," Zechs ordered.

 

"There's no TIME!  They've taken her hostage and I will NOT bow to the Alliance again and I most certainly _WILL NOT_ lose her!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Mistress Long sat tranquilly, still lord of her own home even when it was full of hostile strangers.  "You are making a mistake," she said calmly to the woman with tortured eyes, whose every word was instantly obeyed by the armed men.  "My grandson will not be so easily manipulated."

 

"He has been before," Colonel Une said flatly.  "Just touch someone important to him, and he jumps to our bidding."

 

Mistress Long was silent for a long time.  Then she said, very quietly, "It was not a mere touch, what you did to him, and what you also did to me.  It was murder, young woman.  You murdered those children, and the good people who cared for them."

 

"You wouldn't understand," Une snarled.  "We had to retrieve those weapons at all costs.  They wouldn't come willingly, so we just pressed the right buttons until they did."

 

"People are not objects, and when you play with their lives, it is not a game.  Wufei did not even submit quietly to you, did he?"  It was perfectly obvious why these people were here, and Mistress Long refused to be a tool to make her strong grandson bend to anything less than he was.

 

"I'm going to get him back!" Colonel Une practically shrieked.  "We may have failed miserably in the matter of the Gundam pilots, but I will retrieve every single one of them if I have to drag them back in pieces!"  She _had_ to redeem herself to Treize-sama.  Somehow, she had no idea how, she had displeased the man she loved most in the world.  She had driven him away, disappointed him, and she _had to get him back_.  If she succeeded in this mission, perhaps he would have the kindness to condescend to forgive her, to take her back into his arms again.

 

He had not been pleased last time...somehow, she had gotten it wrong with the Maxwell Church, she did not understand why he had been so upset about the mission when it had gone perfectly, but she would _not_ fail this time.  _'Treize-sama...oh, my love, come back to me....'_

 

0-0-0-0-0

"Quatre!  Where the freak are you going?" Duo yelled.

 

_"Your commline is not connected to the rogue Gundam, 02."_

 

"I _know_ that, moron.  I was venting," Duo explained impatiently, rolling his eyes.  "And stop calling me 02."

 

_"...Roger."_

 

"For crying out loud...you're supposed to say 'Okay' or 'Sure' or 'Fine.'  That wasn't a military order."

 

_"Understood."_

 

"Hiiro!"

 

_"What?"_

 

The tone was so uninterested....  Hiiro truly did not understand how he was being so annoying.  Or even that he _was_ being annoying.  "Never mind."

 

_"Focus on the mission, 02.  Duo."_

 

"What if I don't want to?" Duo snapped, fed up.

 

_"There is no room for reluctant soldiers here.  If you're going to hold me back, you should probably leave."_

 

"Aaaarrrrgggghhh!  Fine, then!  I will!"

 

_"All right."_

 

Duo blinked.  "Uh, Hiiro?  I said I'm leaving.  I'm gonna go sulk while you head off to fight one of our own friends in a really creepy-sounding Gundam."

 

_"Understood."_

 

"Hiiro!  For crying out _loud_!  Don't you _want_ me around?"

 

_"My fighting style was designed for me to work solo, as opposed to your more flexible style that's better suited for group missions.  Your abilities might come in useful, but it's much more likely that they will prove more hindrance than help."_

 

Duo just barely resisted the temptation to bash his head against Deathscythe's frontal screen.  Then he'd just have to pay to get it fixed, and poor Deathscythe didn't deserve to suffer for Hiiro's stupidity, anyway.  "Understood," he growled in an angry mimic of Hiiro's oblivious professionalism.  And with that, he changed direction and flew away.

 

Hiiro continued on for a while.  After a long time, he wondered why he was having trouble keeping focus, and he realized that it was because his thoughts were preoccupied.  "Duo?" he found himself calling out experimentally.

 

The only answer was silence.  Hiiro found this vaguely unpleasant.  "...Duo...."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

It was difficult trying to keep Wufei from charging immediately back to the Alliance to bully them into allowing him to return Otherside, but they managed it in the end.  He was poised tensely now before the commscreen, flanked by a tight-lipped Zechs.  Trowa was elsewhere, training with the ZERO system before having to leave on his unpleasant mission, since Wing ZERO was not a situation that could wait, even for this serious personal crisis of Wufei's.  "You scum!  Release her!" Wufei shouted, along with a flood of profanity.

 

Colonel Une paid no attention.  _"05, your insubordination is intolerable.  You will report to headquarters immediately, with 03 if at all possible.  If you do not, this woman will pay the consequences of your disobedience."_   She jabbed the barrel of a gun into Mistress Long's back.  The old woman grunted in pain, but did not otherwise react.

 

"How DARE you?" Wufei shouted.  "Are you cowards through and through, to harm a defenseless civilian like this?!  She has no involvement in these matters whatsoever, except through me!  Your evil is unbearable!"

 

 _"And yet,"_ the colonel continued with a cruel smile, _"you are forced to bear it.  What is your decision, 05?  Will you surrender quietly, or will you watch as your punishment is inflicted on this woman?"_

 

"...You...you...!"

 

"Colonel," Zechs said tightly.  "Are you acting under orders from Treize?"

 

For a moment, Colonel Une froze.  Then her expression twisted and she seemed to lose control.  _"Everything I do is for Treize-sama!  I live and die and breathe for him!  He's mine--  I belong to him, and_ no one is going to tear him from me _!"_

_"You poor child."_   Wufei and Zechs and even her own men were staring at the colonel in amazement.  It was Mistress Long who had spoken.  _"You sad, deluded child.  To center your life on such a frail thing as another human being...no wonder your heart has cracked, and your spirit weeps."_

 

The colonel whirled and struck the old woman.  _"Keep your mouth shut!"_

 

Unperturbed, Mistress Long raised her eyes to meet her grandson's horrified expression.  _"Wufei, know this:  I love you, and I have always been proud of you.  Meilan felt the same.  She and I will be able to watch over you together now.  Continue to live, to fight, and to bring honor to our family!"_

 

"G...Grandmother?!"

 

It was too late.  Wufei was helpless, his enemies had no idea what their hostage had in mind.  Mistress Long made a small gesture, and the commscreen went blank.

 

"GRANDMOTHER!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

One hundred ninety five years earlier, in a small house with unaccustomed occupants, Mistress Long gazed at her captors with pride and a little bit of pity and not a trace of fear or regret.  "Young woman, you have been broken, and with the blood from this wound you lash out at others."

 

"What did you do?!" Colonel Une shouted.  "Get the transmission running again, and someone cut that alarm!"

 

A couple of confused, frightened soldiers shot at the walls and ceiling.  It did nothing to silence the siren that had started blaring through the house.

 

"You will never harm my grandson again."

 

Colonel Une faced Mistress Long again furiously.  "You have a remote control in your clothing, don't you."

 

"I have been preparing for something like this since Wufei was a small child," Mistress Long said quietly, "when he came into my care and I knew I had to protect him from people like you."

 

Colonel Une was no coward, but she was also not a fool.  Self-preservation came before dignity.  "Evacuate immediately!"  She turned and ran.

 

"Colonel?!" several of the men cried in alarmed confusion.

 

There were several ways Mistress Long could have destroyed her enemies, but explosives and poisonous fumes would have been dangerous for her neighbors, to be used only as a last resort, and she did not have access to most of her weapons.  What she did have access to was the tiny blade hidden in her bracelet, which she had already used to cut the ropes around her wrists.  She also had the dart gun embedded in her watch, which she now raised and aimed at Colonel Une's back.

 

One of the soldiers, frantically recognizing that the not-so-harmless old woman had a weapon, shot her at once.  Mistress Long fell with a cry, distressed that she had been unable to fire.  As she lay dying, she found that her hand was within reach of the cabinet below the kitchen sink.  It was with the last of her strength that she nudged the cabinet door open, pressed a small button hidden there, and input a short code.

 

The house promptly collapsed, burying all its occupants and some of the outside guards under a heap of rubble.  Even the yard seemed to heave and groan as small mines were detonated; Colonel Une was caught in a tiny blast and thrown to the ground, unable to move her legs without experiencing intense pain.  She stared sightlessly up at the clear Otherside sky and refused to acknowledge the fact that she had failed yet again.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

The three Gundams hovered eerily still in the emptiness of space.  Hiiro was trying to figure out if he should let Trowa know that he was glad to see him, and if so, how to phrase such a message, especially since 03 might be considered an enemy.  Quatre was shocked by the make of the mobile suit he faced.  Trowa simply waited.

 

It was Quatre who spoke first.  "Sandrock?" he whispered.

 

 _"An Alliance agent has been passing information to White Fang for years,"_ Trowa explained calmly.  _"She gave Zechs the blueprints for Gundam 04 about a month ago.  I thought you might appreciate seeing this old friend more than Heavyarms."_

 

Quatre's fingers slowly clenched on the controls.  "It's not going to work," he snarled.  "If you stand in my way, Trowa - you're my enemy.  I don't care what MS you're piloting."

 

 _"...I'm sorry to hear that, Quatre."_   And he was, more than he had expected.

 

 _"Why are you attacking military installations, 04?"_ Hiiro demanded.

 

Anger flashed painfully through Quatre's heart as he considered his old comrade.  "That's not something I can explain to an Alliance puppet!"

 

_"I'm...not...an Alliance - puppet - anymore."_

 

Both Trowa and Quatre were surprised to hear the unexpected emotion in 01's tone.

 

Wing shifted, prompting Wing ZERO to fall into a dangerous stance, its eyes glowing.  _"If we're going to fight, let's get it over with,"_ Hiiro said, this time decisively.  _"Duo is waiting for me."_

 

Trowa would have asked about that, but it was too late, the battle had begun.  At first he saw no openings, for ZERO and Wing, both designed from the beginning for aerial combat, were flashing at each other and all around the battlefield too quickly for the originally land-based Sandrock to keep up.  Trowa just followed them for a while, observing.

 

At first he thought that ZERO was faster, but then he realized that that was not it.  When he recorded their actual speeds and compared Wing's to its full capacity, there was negligible difference.  A pilot like Hiiro would easily be able to make up for any inequity in their weapons.  It was more the reaction time, which was surprising.  When it came to combat skills, Hiiro was not only far superior in design, but in experience.  There was only one explanation for why Wing ZERO, piloted by 04, was consistently reacting and attacking more swiftly than Wing.

 

Not that Hiiro had a difficult time at first.  He was, after all, far superior to Quatre in both design and experience, and he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.  "There's something wrong," Hiiro mumbled as he blasted at one of ZERO's wing thrusters, trying to hit the spot that would disable it and throw off the MS's balance.

 

 _"There's something wrong with_ everything _,"_ Quatre cried, zooming close into Wing's defense zone before Hiiro could manage to take out the thruster.

 

01 instantly changed tactics, seizing the opportunity to deal ZERO a blow.  To his astonishment, the other MS avoided the attack by, impossibly, switching directions mid-zoom and shooting upwards.  Without landing a blow of its own, which was good; not for lack of trying, though - Hiiro had just barely managed to turn and catch the strike on Wing's shoulder guard, otherwise his MS's left arm (at the very least) would have been incapacitated.  This battle had his senses zinging at maximum alertness, testing his abilities sorely.  One instant's distraction, the tiniest fraction of a false step, and Hiiro would be in trouble.  That's what was wrong.

 

"You shouldn't be able to do this," he murmured.  "You're not the only one I'm fighting against, are you, 04."  But who else was there to fight?  The strange new Gundam itself?  The idea surprised Hiiro less than he thought it should have.

 

 _"Everyone's gone crazy!"_ Quatre cried wildly.  _"They're just going to kill and kill and kill until there's nobody left!"_

 

The words affected Hiiro strangely, but he pushed the emotions aside and ignored them for now.  He was in the middle of a battle.

 

 _"Quatre,"_ said a quiet voice, _"I think that maybe the one who's gone crazy is you."_

 

03.  Why had he not been taking part in the fight?

 

 _"Quatre,"_ Trowa went on, _"you know you're not really like this.  You're a gentle person, you can't stand to see people get hurt.  Why are you suddenly resorting to such violence?  Why are you fighting your own friends?"_

 

_"M...My...?"_

 

Hiiro saw his chance - 04, unlike him, was not disciplined enough to keep personal emotions off the battlefield.  "Haaahhh!"  His beam saber came swiping down on the motionless Wing ZERO.

 

 _"Hiiro, no!"_ Trowa cried, and Hiiro registered vaguely that it felt odd to hear the other boy addressing him by name.

 

 _"Ahhh!"_   Quatre's scream was one of rage, and Hiiro cursed 03 for getting in the way.

 

The next few minutes were a confused tangle of action, as Wing and ZERO fiercely tried to rip each other apart and Sandrock successfully blocked them at almost every turn.  In frustration, Hiiro finally opened fire on 03's MS, even though he knew perfectly well that it would not penetrate Sandrock's thick armor.

 

Still enraged, Quatre turned on Trowa as well and thrust with the beam saber, knowing Sandrock well enough to go for a weak spot.  Then he gasped in sudden pain, for the sensation of hurting not just one, but two friends was nearly overwhelming.  His fingers seized up on the controls and he found that he could not let go.  The next minute, Wing was on him, battering at joints and other areas unprotected by Gundanium.

 

"GET OFF ME!" Quatre howled, his vision blurred by a sort of furious golden haze.  He smashed an elbow into Wing's face, ripped off the head, tore open the hatch and watched the startlingly tiny body within writhe in an agony of death; then he was screaming and screaming in horror at the thought of killing his own friend, even after the hallucination had ended.  "Hiiro!  No!  No, I--!"

 

He couldn't tell if it was like hovering outside his own body, watching someone else, or if it was like _being_ the Gundam-- or, no, the ZERO system itself, controlling the soft human mind with the label "04," carrying out the necessary actions with a terrifying, completely detached calm.  Disarm the enemy; pry loose the Gundanium armor, or else disable the balance system; how best to annihilate the enemy and rid the universe of its existence--

 

"NO!"

 

Take out the shoulder guns, or else get the enemy pilot to use up all the ammunition, except that that method was highly inefficient; damage the engines or decrease the flight-based MS's maneuverability by at least 40% - no, 70%, quite doable with 04's durability, though that had a high probability of damaging 04's long-term efficiency

 

over and over again Hiiro's face, crumpling and twisting in agony

 

watching Hiiro die in such close detail, as if he was right there beside him, even though he should barely even been able to see Hiiro like this if he was killing him for real

 

Then

 

NEW ENEMY

 

EVASION

 

CALCULATING COMBAT POSSIBILITIES

 

now Trowa was the one dying

 

Sandrock's armor plates ripped off, useless

 

sickles broken

 

the shield, he knew exactly how to get rid of it and he tried not to tell ZERO but ZERO reached in with ruthless hands and tore the information out of him

 

Trowa's face twisting

 

just like Hiiro's

 

again

 

and again

 

and again

 

For a long time, Quatre could not regain control, and his voice was hoarse with screaming.  Somehow, he was never sure how, he reached up and pulled away - it felt like clawing something off his body, like ripping his mind free from alien thoughts that had taken root; but of course the only way he could have really done it was to input the code--

 

When he came to, he was breathing very hard and he had a terrible headache, his eyes were sore, and his body exhausted and aching as if he had been ill for a long time.  He hung limply in the seat straps, which either meant that Wing ZERO was drifting at an odd angle or that the gravity-orientation mechanism had been damaged.  He blinked hazily at the stars outside the cockpit, which seemed unexpectedly calm and silent.  "Trowa?" he whispered, his voice a thread.

 

Wing ZERO was dead, or at least asleep.  The hum of machinery was almost gone.  Quatre would have to reboot the starter systems if he wanted to get his MS moving again, but he was too afraid.  It felt like the first time in a long time that his mind was his own, and he wanted to keep it that way.

 

But he couldn't hang here in space forever, he would die.  Which did not seem like too bad a prospect, except that he needed to know where Trowa and Hiiro had gone - if they were even still alive, which Quatre was suddenly not so certain of.  Had he killed them?  Had any of the hallucinations, or any part of them, been real?

 

Fearfully, Quatre reached for the controls, his fingers shaking.  Very gently, he initiated the most basic systems that were not already on, then the scanners.

 

Wing hung motionlessly in space some distance away, not moving.  "Hiiro?" Quatre whispered.  When there was no answer, he said again, louder, "Hiiro??"  His heart cold, he sent a mechanical probing message to Wing, looking for raw data.  The MS responded with almost human reticence, revealing nothing except that it still had access to some unspecified combat functions.  "Hiiro!" Quatre shouted.  "Answer me!"

 

Tears had begun to slip from his eyes before there was finally a deep crackle of static, and then Hiiro's groggy-sounding voice.  _"04...Quatre...."_

 

"Oh, Hiiro!  I'm so glad you're alive!  Where's Trowa?!"  There had not been a trace of Sandrock on his scanners.

 

There was a very long pause that anguished him.  At last, a reply.  _"You...killed him."_   A groan of pain.  Then Hiiro's voice again, steadier.  Wing's eyes had sparked to life, and the MS creaked as it straightened up.  _"Your turn next, Quatre.  Unless you surrender."_

 

Quatre barely heard.  He felt numb.  "I killed him?" he whispered.  Dimly, he registered the fact that Wing was pointing a weapon at him.  The thought crossed his mind that he could just let go, let it all end.  The Maganacs would be terribly upset if he didn't bother to say goodbye, though.

 

The Maganacs.

 

"Home," Quatre whispered.  He did not deserve to call anyplace Home anymore, but...he should tell them about everything that had happened, and offer to get them back to _their_ Home if he could.  Until then, he couldn't keep being selfish.

 

Quatre straightened in his seat again, his eyes narrowed in determination.  "Yes.  I have things to do first."  Not even aware that he was seconds away from death, Quatre input a certain code and coordinates.

 

Hiiro's hand tightened unnecessarily on the controls.  "This is your last chance," he warned.  He should not be giving the enemy 'last chances,' but somehow, imagining Duo's accusing eyes, he felt compelled.  Even though he had just watched this former comrade damaging the MS of another former comrade so badly that it had exploded into fragments too small to even detect.  "You should surrender, Quatre."  Then the Perfect Soldier gasped.

 

Wing ZERO had winked out of existence.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Treize stood at the full-length windows, staring out at the city, ignoring the blaring alarms, the constantly ringing telephone, and the numerous and increasingly frantic reports rapidly cluttering his e-mail inbox.

 

Finally, the door was flung open and a uniformed man stumbled in.  "Sir!"

 

Treize turned around and smiled.  The gesture was completely automatic, a habit grown from several years of pretending that he knew everything and had it all under control.  "What is it, Adams?" he asked politely.

 

"Sir, it's an invasion!  We're under attack!  The _main headquarters_ are under attack, sir!  Haven't you been getting the reports?!"

 

"I haven't, actually," Treize said mildly.  He strolled over to his computer and sat down as the other man stared at him in disbelief.  "Hm, let's see now."  He saw Colonel Une's name down near the earlier postings and opened that message first, wishing idly for her warm, reassuring presence.  Then he shuddered when he remembered how things had started to fall apart.  In his personal life, that is.  Things had begun crumbling for the Alliance long ago.

 

"Sir, that was him!" the man cried urgently as he stumbled, rocked along with the building by another explosion.

 

"Yes, yes," Treize murmured absently.

 

His hands froze on the keyboard, an icy feeling of horror seeming to roll down his spine.  "Lady," he whispered, staring at the print on the screen as if he couldn't believe it existed.  "Oh, Lady, Lady, what have you done now?"

 

"Sir!"

 

Treize ignored him, until a second man came dashing in, looking even more frantic than his predecessor.  "Sir!  We've identified the intruder!  It's a Gundam pilot!"

 

Treize raised his eyes slowly.  "It wouldn't be young Wufei, by any chance, would it?" he murmured.

 

"Sir???"  They looked strained, frightened.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt sorry for them.

 

"Agent 05," he clarified.

 

"Oh!"

 

"Yes, sir!  We believe it's Agent 05!"

 

Treize felt very tired.  He got up from his chair and strode to the door.  The men scrambled after him in relieved confusion.  Treize walked swiftly until he had reached a broadcast room, where the operators looked up at him, almost too glad to be surprised.

 

"Sir!"

 

"It's Treize-sama!"

 

"Treize-sama!"

 

Acknowledging them only with a smile, Treize sat down in the first seat someone vacated for him, and reached, to his subordinates' surprise, to turn off the alarms.  Then he switched on the public address system.  "Wufei," he said into the microphone.  "There's no need to fight anymore.  To all Alliance soldiers and personnel, I, Treize Khushrenada, command that you cease fire and allow Chang Wufei free access to the Time Displacement Device."

 

There was a stunned pause.  Treize would dearly love to have heard Wufei's reply, but they were separated by too many walls.  As it was, he sat with his subordinates for a long time, listening tensely for more explosions.  There were none.  Finally, a message came in that Agent 05 had accessed the Elevator and was no longer on the premises.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"...C-Commander?" the young mechanic whimpered into the commlink.

 

His boss immediately shoved him aside and closed the connection again.  "Shut up!  You want to send something wrong?  This is a critical process, idiot!"

 

"Yes, sir.  It's just that the commander--!"

 

"Get out of here," the older man snapped.

 

"Yes, sir-- but don't you see that?!"

 

"I gave you an order!"

 

"...Yes, sir."

 

The young man looked nervously over his shoulder as he left the control room where they were overseeing Zechs Marquise's synchronization to the newly completed Epyon.  One of the vidscreens showed a close-up of Zechs's face, which should have been mostly reposed, as if in sleep.  At the moment, however, there was something very wrong with it - the eyes were wide open and glowing brightly, almost like a Gundam's eyes rather than a human's.

 

The mechanic shivered and let the door slide shut behind him.

 

_To be continued...._


	21. Act 21

**_Bred for Destiny_ ** **, a Gundam Wing fanfic by Raberba girl**

**Act 21**

 

A/N:  ...Hi, guys.  As you have probably figured, I can't finish this story properly. :/  But here's a little bit more that I managed to squeeze out before I gave up.  I'll explain more at the end.

 

0-0-0

 

It had been shockingly easy.

 

There they had been, tensely planning their escape, and in the end all it took was keeping close to that boy, Wufei, and joining him in the Elevator.  Sally had been wonderful at that part, bossily throwing around orders for all the soldiers and technicians to get back, and insisting on her official supervision as the Gundam pilot made his exit.  Then it had just been a matter of calmly stepping into the Elevator with him at the last minute, and a minute later, there they were Otherside.  At last, Relena was home...though with her father gone, it almost did not even feel like home anymore.

 

"Thanks for the ride," Sally said, appreciatively clapping Wufei on the shoulder.

 

He did not acknowledge her.  Indeed, she wondered if he had even heard.  The boy set off at once in a swift, loping stride, soon disappearing from sight.

 

"Let's go," Sally murmured to Relena, "before they start asking questions."

 

Sure enough, the Elevator techs were looking at them with confusion bordering on suspicion.  "Who are you?"

 

"Escorts for 05," Sally told them confidently.  "Didn't you get the memo?"

 

"We, er, did get authorization for 05's Elevator use, but--"

 

"Good, well done," Sally said smartly.  "Carry on.  Come, Relena, there's much to do."  _Like getting out of here intact!_ her smile seemed to add.

 

Relena followed obediently, feeling lost and out of her depth.  Now that she was home, what was she supposed to do?  How was she supposed to start revolutionizing the world for peace?  Right now, all she wanted to do was go _home_ , except that...home wasn't home anymore.  Not without her father, the man she at least thought of as her father, to make her feel safe and loved.  Still, she had not lost quite everything the way those poor Gundam pilots had.

 

"Sally, I want to see my mother."

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

By the time Wufei reached his home on foot, having no Otherside currency for transportation fare, _that woman_ was gone.  The surviving Alliance soldiers had gotten their injured hive queen to safety, removing themselves and their fallen comrades from the area before Otherside gawkers and authorities could move in.

 

"Wufei!  Oh, my poor darling!"  The middle-aged woman who lived three doors down ran to throw her arms around Wufei, rocking him like he was a child.  "Oh, my dear Wufei, I am so, so sorry...."

 

"My grandmother," he demanded, pulling back.  "Is she still alive?  Did she--?"

 

The look on the woman's face was answer enough, but Wufei could not bring himself to accept it.  He pushed past her and ran toward the remains of his home, which was swarming with police officers and firefighters.  Off to one side, a still figure lay on a stretcher.  "Grandmother!"  Things got hazy after that.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

"Quatre-sama!  Is it really you?!"

 

 _"Hello, Ahmad,"_ came the low, tired response.

 

"Where are you?!  I'll pick you up right away!"

 

_"I'm at the secret MS hangar near Enix High School...."_

 

"How in the world did you get all the way over there!?"

 

_"Forgive me, Ahmad.  It is a long story, and I would prefer only having to tell it once."_

 

"Yes, sir.  Stay right there, Quatre-sama, we're coming for you!"

 

They found their young master sitting on the shoulder of a strange Gundam, his body hunched in despair, looking far older than his fifteen years.  He seemed glad to see them, but his eyes were full of tears even as he smiled, as if he was greeting them at a funeral.  They hovered around him protectively all the way home, up until the moment when all thirty-nine remaining Maganacs and many of their families were gathered around Quatre to hear his story.

 

"I have so much to tell you all...."  He paused, gathering his thoughts.  "First - do you all want to go home?"

 

They were already home, weren't they?  Everyone looked around at the walls in confusion, until someone realized what Quatre meant.  "You mean, to the future?!"

 

"I can only take one person at a time...and you can't bring very much with you...but--"

 

"Wait a minute, Quatre-sama.  _How_ exactly do you mean to do this?"

 

Quatre smiled humorlessly.  However, before he could explain, the man continued.

 

"Because you do realize that we have our own time machine now, don't you?"

 

Quatre stared.  "You--  _What_?!"

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Catherine Bloom squinted through the rain, trying to see if that really was a kid and not a lump of garbage sagging there behind the trash cans.  "Hey...hey, are you all right?"

 

No response.  She was just about to turn away when the thing suddenly shifted.  The dark lump at the top proved to be hair, as it slid aside just enough for a sliver of face and a single green eye to become visible.

 

 _'Please, please, please don't be some kind of psycho.'_   "Do you need any help?"

 

The bedraggled young person made a soft grunt, which could have meant anything.

 

"What's your name?"

 

No response.

 

"Where do you live?"

 

Nothing.

 

"Do your parents--?"

 

Then he slipped to the ground, where he lay motionless.

 

"Hey!"

 

**Two months later:**

 

_We were at a carnival or a circus or something, though not the one I worked at.  I let Quatre drag me from one game or ride to another.  He seemed as excited as a puppy at getting to finally spend some downtime with me._

_"Look, Trowa, a ball toss!  Try it, try it, let's see if you can beat me!"_

_I gamely laid down some money and picked up one of the balls.  The game was rigged, of course, but with our enhanced abilities, Quatre and I quickly earned our way to the huge, gaudy stuffed animal prizes._

_"Whoo hoo, I got a pink puppy!  Choose that elephant, Trowa!"  It was a shade of orange so offensive that it should have come with a warning label, but I picked it anyway.  I knew it wouldn't matter.  Sure enough, we ended up giving the prizes away to a couple of kids with longing expressions._

_"The bumper cars next, Trowa!  Come on, pleeeeaase?"_

_"I'm here for you, not me.  We can go wherever you want."_

_"Yay!"_

_Five seconds into it, a black car came crashing out of nowhere, slamming into Quatre so hard that his vehicle slid several feet.  "Duo!" Quatre shouted happily.  "I'm gonna get you!"_

_"Ya think so?" Duo laughed, his eyes glinting with mischief.  With a twist of the wheel, he disappeared._

_That didn't seem to matter when Quatre zoomed into the empty space determinedly; sure enough, Duo yelped back into sight, then growled playfully and slammed his foot on the acceleration pedal._

_I let them duke it out, choosing instead to cruise along the edges of the attraction, looking out at the colorful crowds._

_There was suddenly a commotion, as people began to run and yell in panic.  My eyes shot to the sky, where a huge shadow came swiftly approaching.  Within seconds, it was dropping to earth, and I braced myself against the impact when a dragon came down for a heavy landing, crushing a popcorn stand from which its owner had fled, screaming, just seconds before._

_I sighed and got out of the bumper car when I saw Hiiro come sliding down his strange mount and marching up to where I waited with a wide-eyed Quatre and Duo._

_"We have a new mission," he announced brusquely, but I held up my hand._

_"No, Hiiro.  I'm done with this.  I won't do the Alliance's dirty work anymore."_

_"Has to be you," he insisted stubbornly.  "The target is Catherine Bloom.  Shoot her with this."  He handed me a candy cane._

_I stared at it.  "Um.  Hiiro.  I think there's a mistake."_

_"No, no!" Duo insisted gleefully.  "It's OZ's new weapon, check it out!"_

_"Try it, Trowa, try it!" Quatre urged.  When I did nothing, he grabbed the candy cane from my hand and fired it.  The shot blasted a hole in the universe; I could see open sky beyond._

_"Let's go!" Duo crowed, but a hand reached out to hold him back._

_"Idiot.  You can't fly without wings," Wufei said contemptuously, tossing a stack of them on the ground._

_Then we had jumped through the hole and were flying, the five of us soaring through the air, except that our wings were made of Gundanium, and were far too heavy to keep us aloft._

_"Help me!" I cried, reaching up for Quatre.  For some reason, he and the others were able to hover there, watching me curiously as I fell._

_"Flap your arms, Trowa!" Quatre urged, demonstrating.  "Like this!"_

_"FLAPPING MY ARMS WILL NOT HELP ME FLY!!!!!" I screamed, but it was too late; I was plummeting faster and faster, falling and falling...no, time-traveling--_

 

"WAKE UP, TROWA!"

 

Trowa groaned, wincing without opening his eyes as someone shook him enthusiastically.

 

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!"

 

"Triton, go away...."

 

The boy laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling mightily until Trowa finally climbed to his feet.

 

"C'mon!  Cathy's making blueberry pancakes for breakfast."

 

"You didn't have to drag me out of bed for that...."

 

_*permanently incomplete*_

 

How the story ends:

 

It turns out that the G-boys' and Zechs's superpowers come from being synched with Gundams, which is different than being synched with normal mobile suits.

 

The ZERO system allows whatever MS it's installed in to time travel.  (During the battle, the ZERO system in Trowa's suit had accidentally been activated, sending him back to Otherside where he has amnesia and got taken in by Catherine, like he does in canon.)

 

Treize and Lady Une make up.

 

Once everyone's ready, the Crisis happens when MS from the future invade the past.  There's a big Final Battle, during which Treize and Midii get killed (Trowa was their biological son, btw, and Triton is the real 03 who'd been secretly sent to the past), and Zechs goes missing, presumed dead.  (Zechs also, btw, happens to be a direct descendant of Hiiro & Relena.)

 

Oh, wait, my notes say that Midii helped Lady Une found the Preventers.  Whatever. *sweatdrop*  And did I ever get around to mentioning that Lady Une is one of Midii's clones (Midii had volunteered for an experiment)?  Or that Midii's hair is blonde because she dyes it?  Also, Midii is another descendant of Hiiro & Relena, which is why Trowa had the ability to pilot a Gundam.

 

The good guys end up winning, and Relena & Quatre pretty much take charge of things, she in the past and he in the future.  The time machine was destroyed by the five scientists during the Final Battle, leaving Hiiro & Relena in the past, and the other four G-boys in the future.

 

At one point, Hiiro realizes that he and Relena were the same Hiiro & Relena who'd been assassinated in the history books he'd studied.  He's eventually able to pull off some really complicated, multi-step mission involving time travel (remember that scene where he burst into the Elevator unexpectedly?), stops his child self from assassinating his future self and future Relena, and returns safely, where he kisses Relena and freaks out the Duo & co. from the past. XD

 

There was a lot more, but I don't think it's important, and my notes are a super-confusing mess, anyway. *sweatdrop*

 

Lol, I actually wrote what was supposed to be the very last line of the story, Hiiro heading home again after thwarting the assassination of himself and his wife:

 

_For the last time, he activated the device, intending to destroy it when he got back.  He smiled even through the Elevator's nausea, because all was now right with his world and he was heading back home, where Relena waited._

 

o.o.o

 

Author's Notes:  I wrote Trowa's dream a looooong time ago, long long long before the rest of this chapter.  And yes, that is Wing the dragon from _Searching for the Sun Lands_ , making a cameo in _Destiny_.

 

So.  Basically, I've been obsessed with Kingdom Hearts for three-and-a-half years, which is WAY longer than any of my other fandom phases have lasted, and my love for that series has shown no sign of fading.  I can only assume that I've found my True Fandom or something - Kingdom Hearts is a perfect, generally high-quality blend of Disney, anime, speculative fiction in general, platonic love, crossovers, interesting characters and story, humor, overall good music, and adventure, which are pretty much the recreational things I love most; it's like I don't _need_ any other entertainment when I've got Kingdom Hearts.  Other phases have come and quickly gone in the meantime, but my obsession with KH has remained a constant.

 

What this means for my fandom life is that I've gotten to the point where I've simply lost interest in any fanwork, including my own, that's not Kingdom Hearts. *sweatdrop*

 

As for _Bred for Destiny_ specifically, I've made repeated attempts to finish this story, because I HATE leaving things unfinished and I feel like I owe it to my readers to complete what I started posting.  The thing is, I _can't_.  My muses for everything except KH are all dead, trying to write anything non-KH feels like a huge chore, and it's _difficult_ , there is no flow or inspiration.  It's particularly difficult with _Destiny_ because the plot is _so frickin' complicated_ , it's a nightmare just trying to figure out where all the important characters are and what they're supposed to be doing next, much less keeping track of all the tangled threads and trying to resolve every subplot.  Basically, I can't do it. :/  I have to give up; and for that, I apologize very much....

 

On one hand, I'm kind of mad at myself for starting _Bred for Destiny_ \- before that, I had retired from fanfiction, and I wish I'd _stayed_ retired so I could focus on my original stories.  Unfortunately, one thing led to another, and I'm now obsessed with writing Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, and have a very difficult time seeing myself able to retire from fanfiction again, even though I _surely_ won't be writing fanfics even when I'm middle-aged and/or elderly, will I? o.O  I hope not....

 

Aside from that, though, I am glad for the experience.  Working on _Bred for Destiny_ taught me that fantastic as time travel is, it's also SUPER-HARD to write. XD  Next time I do time travel, I will definitely pay much closer attention to what I'm doing and plot it out very well, and in a very organized fashion, ahead of time.  I can't let it get hopelessly out of control the way it did with this story.  I did learn a lot from working on this fic, for which I'm grateful.

 

I'll probably be doing something similar with _Searching for the Sun Lands_ , ending the fic prematurely by tacking on a lame conclusion.  _Sun Lands_ is nowhere near as complicated as _Destiny_ is, but I still don't have the energy to finish it properly.  Sorry, guys....

 

My final message to you readers is that I very much appreciate all your interest and support!  You have my deepest apologies for failing you.  I hope that the Gundam Wing fandom treats you well, and I wish you all the best in your own writing endeavors!


End file.
